distress
/dɪˈstres/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈstres/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈstres/ (ame, mw)
distress — noun
1. A state of deep emotional pain or mental suffering that a person goes through wh
A state of deep emotional pain or mental suffering that a person goes through when something very bad or painful happens, such as losing a loved one or facing a serious problem.
Zuri felt deep distress after learning that her grandmother had been hospitalised.
collocation: deep distress / feel distress
The family's distress grew as the search for the missing child continued into the night.
Talking to a close friend helped Renata ease some of her distress over the breakup.
His face showed clear signs of distress when he heard the doctor's diagnosis.
Counselling sessions can help people work through feelings of distress after a traumatic event.
文法句型
uncountable
用法筆記
Often describes emotional pain triggered by a specific event or situation. Frequently paired with prepositions like over, about, or at.
常見錯誤
2. A state of urgent need caused by serious difficulty or danger — for example, whe
A state of urgent need caused by serious difficulty or danger — for example, when a person has no food, a ship is damaged at sea, or a community is hit by a natural disaster.
The fishing boat sent out a distress signal when its engine failed far from shore.
collocation: distress signal
Hugo's family fell into financial distress after his father lost his job at the factory.
collocation: financial distress
Rescue workers arrived quickly to help the climbers who were in distress on the mountain.
The earthquake left thousands of families in distress with no food or clean water.
A nearby ship responded to the distress call and arrived within thirty minutes.
文法句型
uncountable
用法筆記
Common in maritime and aviation contexts (distress signal, distress call). Also used for financial hardship (financial distress, economic distress). Unlike sense 1, this sense focuses on external circumstances rather than internal emotional pain.
常見錯誤
distress — verb
- distresspresent simple I / you / we / they
- distresses3rd person singular
- distressing-ing form
- distressedpast simple
1. To cause someone to become deeply worried, sad, or emotionally upset, usually be
To cause someone to become deeply worried, sad, or emotionally upset, usually because of bad news, a troubling event, or a difficult situation.
The news of the accident distressed Zayd's entire family.
transitive: distress + person
Kasia was distressed to learn that her application had been rejected.
passive + to-infinitive: distressed to learn/hear/find
Seeing the abandoned puppy distressed the children so much that they begged to keep it.
The manager was clearly distressed by the sudden drop in sales figures.
It distressed Andrew to watch his childhood home being torn down piece by piece.
文法句型
distress + person
be distressed + by/at/about + noun/-ing
be distressed + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Commonly used in the passive voice (be distressed). The subject is often an event, news, or situation, not a person deliberately trying to upset someone. Distinguish from upset: distress implies a stronger, deeper emotional reaction.
常見錯誤
distress — adjective
- distresspositive
- more distresscomparative
- most distresssuperlative
1. Describing goods or products that a seller offers at a price below the original
Describing goods or products that a seller offers at a price below the original cost, typically because the seller urgently needs cash to pay debts or avoid bankruptcy.
The warehouse is stacked with distress merchandise the retailer must sell before the month ends.
collocation: distress merchandise
Investors bought up large amounts of distress inventory from the failing electronics company.
collocation: distress inventory
A distributor specialises in purchasing distress stock and reselling it to discount stores.
Bidders competed for the distress assets of the bankrupt manufacturing firm.
文法句型
before noun
用法筆記
Used only before nouns (attributive position), primarily in business and finance contexts. Most often paired with merchandise, inventory, stock, goods, or assets.
2. Relating to a sale or financial transaction in which goods or property are sold
Relating to a sale or financial transaction in which goods or property are sold at a price below what they cost, usually because the seller is under strong financial pressure.
The company announced a distress sale of its office furniture to pay employee salaries.
collocation: distress sale
Homes in the neighbourhood were sold at distress prices after the local factory closed down.
collocation: distress prices
The retailer held a distress sale over the weekend, offering everything at sixty percent off.
Investors watched closely for distress deals during the economic downturn.
- liquidation
A specific legal process of selling assets to pay creditors; broader than a single distress sale.
- fire sale
Informal term for a sale at very low prices, originally literal (damaged goods).
文法句型
before noun
用法筆記
Primarily appears in business and finance reporting. Unlike sense 1 (which describes the goods themselves), this sense describes the transaction or event — a sale, auction, or deal. Not used in everyday conversation.