distress
C1Meanings
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1
noun
the seizure and holding of property as security for payment of a debt or satisfaction of a claim
Originally distress was a landlord's remedy against a tenant for unpaid rents or property damage but now the landlord is given a landlord's lien
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2
noun
psychological suffering
The death of their sibling caused them great distress.
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3
noun
extreme physical pain
The patient appeared to be in distress.
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4
noun
a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need)
a ship in distress
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5
verb
cause mental pain to
I was distressed by the news of my grandparent's illness.
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6
noun
Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
To heighten his distress, he is approached by his wife, and bitterly upbraided for his perfidy in concealing from her his former connexions (with that unhappy girl who is here present with her child, the innocent offspring of her amours, fainting at the sight of his misfortunes, being unable to relieve him farther), and plunging her into those difficulties she never shall be able to surmount.
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7
noun
Serious danger.
I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help.
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8
noun
The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.
Etymology
The verb is from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier (“to restrain, constrain, put in straits, afflict, distress”); compare French détresse. Ultimately from Medieval Latin as if *districtiō, an assumed frequentative form of Latin distringō (“to pull asunder, stretch out”), from dis- (“apart”) + stringō (“to draw tight, strain”). The noun is from Middle English distresse, from Old French destrece, ultimately also from Latin distringō.