Distress

GRE TOEFL 考研

[编辑] 解释

I. noun

Etymology: Middle English destresse, from Anglo-French destresce, from Vulgar Latin *districtia, from Latin districtus, past participle of distringere
Date: 13th century
1.
- a. seizure and detention of the goods of another as pledge or to obtain satisfaction of a claim by the sale of the goods seized
- b. something that is distrained
2.
- a. pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind ; trouble <gastric distress>
- b. a painful situation ; misfortune
3. a state of danger or desperate need <a ship in distress>
Synonyms:
- distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble. distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress <the hurricane put everyone in great distress>. suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress<the suffering of famine victims>. misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss<the homeless live with misery every day>. agony suggests pain too intense to be borne<in agony over the death of their child>.

II. transitive verb

Date: 14th century
1. to subject to great strain or difficulties <homes distressed by poverty>
2. archaic to force or overcome by inflicting pain
3. to cause to worry or be troubled ; upset <don't let the news distress you>
4. to mar (as clothing or wood) deliberately to give an effect of age <a distressed table>
? distressingly adverb

III. adjective