distress
Definitions
Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
（精神上的）痛苦，悲伤，忧虑。
A state of danger or desperate need.
危难，困境。
To cause someone anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
使痛苦，使忧虑。
Root Breakdown
Root-deriveddis- (apart, intensive) + stress (the squeeze of being drawn tight) = the squeeze made painful. distress is the cramped, crushed feeling of trouble — and the danger sense survives in maritime distress signal and a ship in distress.
Root strain still carries 57 more wordsWhy It Means This
distress and stress are doublets — two English words from the same Latin source, distress taking the longer Old French road (destresse) and keeping the older "danger, hardship" sense, stress arriving as a clipped, more modern form. That's why distress sounds heavier: it kept the medieval weight of real peril.
Common Collocations
- 1.in distress处于困境/痛苦中
- 2.great distress极度痛苦
- 3.emotional distress情感创伤
- 4.cause distress造成痛苦
- 5.distress signal求救信号
Example Sentences
- 1.
The news of the accident caused her great distress.
- 2.
A ship in distress sent out a radio signal.
- 3.
It distressed him to see his old home torn down.