distress
/dɪˈstɹɛs/ verb C2- To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
- 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. · a pair of distressed jeans· She distressed the new media cabinet so that it fit with the other furniture in the room.
He/she/it distresses · Past distressed · Past participle distressed · -ing form distressing
Verb forms
- Base form
- distress
- He/she/it
- distresses
- Past
- distressed
- Past participle
- distressed
- -ing form
- distressing
From the library
“It is difficult, indeed--it is distressing.
The two first dances, however, brought a return of distress: they were dances of mortification.
To Elizabeth it appeared, that had her family made an agreement to expose themselves as much as they could during the evening, it would have been impossible for them to play their parts with more spirit, or finer success; and happy did she think it for Bingley and her sister that some of the exhibition had escaped his notice, and that his feelings were not of a sort to be much distressed by the folly which he must have witnessed.
Having resolved to do it without loss of time, as his leave of absence extended only to the following Saturday, and having no feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to himself even at the moment, he set about it in a very orderly manner, with all the observances which he supposed a regular part of the business.
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