distress
Great worry, sadness or pain.
distress in a sentence
- The lifeguard spotted a swimmer in distress, waving his arms and shouting for help.
- Hearing the kitten's cries of distress, the fire crew fetched a ladder to lift it down from the tree.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to distress?
- Apeace
- Bcomfort
- Ccalm
- Dmisery
Show the answer
D: misery. The other three mean the opposite of distress.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to distress?
- Aanguish
- Bupset
- Cmisery
- Dcomfort
Show the answer
D: comfort. The other three mean nearly the same as distress.
Words that mean something similar
misery, anguish, upset
Words that mean the opposite
comfort, calm, peace
More words about emotions & feelings
- downcast: Sad and low, often looking at the ground.
- dread: A strong fear of something that is going to happen.
- dumbfounded: So amazed that you cannot speak.
- eager: Very keen and excited to do something.
- ecstatic: So happy that you can hardly contain it.
- elated: Extremely happy and excited.
- embrace: To hug someone warmly, or to accept something new eagerly.
- enchant: To delight someone so much that it feels like magic.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test