Distress1. (n.) Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.
2. (n.) That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery.
3. (n.) A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.
4. (n.) The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc.
5. (n.) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
6. (n.) To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable.
7. (n.) To compel by pain or suffering.
8. (n.) To seize for debt; to distrain.
Thesaurus Entries
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