distresses

noun

Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.

A cause of such discomfort.

Serious danger.

(medicine, psychology) An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.

(law) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.

(law) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.

verb

To cause strain or anxiety to someone.

(law) To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.

To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.

Roots

stringostress- · Latin · draw tight, bind

Synonyms & related words for distresses

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Words related to distresses

Explore words related to distresses — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include suffering, distressful, distressed, anguish, distressing, distraint, swivet, disquietude. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does distresses come from?

The word distresses breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root stress-, from Latin stringo (“draw tight, bind”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.