distraught
/dɪˈstrɔːt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈstrɔːt/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈstrȯt/ (ame, mw)
distraught — adjective
- distraughtpositive
- more distraughtcomparative
- most distraughtsuperlative
1. so badly shaken by sadness, worry, or fear that you find it hard to stay calm or
so badly shaken by sadness, worry, or fear that you find it hard to stay calm or think straight.
Esteban was distraught when his little sister was rushed to hospital with a broken leg.
be distraught when + clause for sudden cause of distress
Romi sat in the kitchen, distraught over the loss of her old farm dog.
distraught over + noun for ongoing grief
The parents were distraught at the news that their son's plane had not landed.
Adaeze called her brother in tears, too distraught to finish a single sentence.
A distraught mother stood at the school gate, asking everyone if they had seen her child.
- distressed
very similar but slightly less extreme; 'distressed' people are upset, 'distraught' people are visibly unable to cope.
- inconsolable
stronger and more permanent; describes someone who cannot be comforted at all, especially after a death.
- frantic
emphasises panicked, hurried action driven by worry; 'distraught' emphasises inner emotional collapse.
- beside oneself
informal idiom with the same meaning; common in spoken English (e.g. 'beside herself with grief').
文法句型
be distraught at/by/over + noun
distraught + that-clause
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a person (or a group of people); the cause is usually a serious event like death, illness, danger, or loss. Prefer 'upset' for milder feelings — 'distraught' suggests the person is barely holding it together.