Synonyms of distress
51 similar words · 3 opposite words
Another word for distress is wrong. Other synonyms of distress are smart, pain, anguish, grief and misery. The opposite of distress is calmness.
Synonyms and similar words for distress
nounPhysical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
nounA cause of such discomfort.
- hardshipDifficulty or trouble; hard times.
- sorrowUnhappiness, woe.
- afflictionA state of pain, suffering, distress or agony.
- aggrievanceOppression; hardship; grievance.
- griefSuffering, hardship.
- grievanceSomething which causes grief.
- miseryGreat unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind; wretchedness; distress; woe.
- sadnessAn event in one's life that causes sadness.
- undelightThe condition or feeling of lacking delight; unhappiness or displeasure.
- vexationA source of mental distress or trouble; an affliction, a woe; also, a source of annoyance or irritation; an annoyance...
- woeGreat sadness or distress; a misfortune causing such sadness.
- wrongAn instance of wronging someone (sometimes with possessive to indicate the wrongdoer).
- ruth obsoleteMatter for regret or sorrow; calamity, ruin; also, occasion for regret or sorrow; (countable) an instance of this; a...
nounSerious danger.
verbTo cause strain or anxiety to someone.
- harrowTo traumatize or disturb; to torment, distress or vex.
- troubleTo mentally distress; to cause (someone) to be anxious or perplexed.
- vexTo cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
- tantalize
- tantalise
- martyr
- wringTo cause distress or pain to (a person or their heart, soul, etc.); to distress, to torment.
- gnaw
- afflictTo cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
- lacerate
- aggrieve
- plague
- atray dialectalTo vex; trouble; frighten; torment; harass.
- cag dialectal, slangTo vex; annoy; insult, offend; grieve.
- harassTo put excessive burdens upon (someone); to subject (someone) to anxieties.
- harryTo harass, bother or distress with demands, threats, or criticism.
- rend
- engrieve archaicTo cause grief to, to vex or pain; to associate with vexation or pain.
- grame obsoleteTo vex; grill; make angry or sorry.
verbTo retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
- distrainTo seize somebody's property in place of, or to force, payment of a debt.
nounMore synonyms
- difficulty
- painThe condition or fact of suffering or anguish especially mental, as opposed to pleasure; torment; distress.
- smartMental pain or suffering; grief; affliction.
- tortureSevere pain or anguish, of mind or body.
Opposite of distress
nounAn aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
- eustressA healthful, stimulating kind and level of stress.
Meaning of distress
- noun Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
- noun A cause of such discomfort.
- noun Serious danger.
distress in other languages
Questions about synonyms of distress
- What is another word for distress?
- Distress has 51 synonyms on Word.ws, such as wrong, smart, pain, anguish, grief, misery, sorrow and torture.
- What is the opposite of distress?
- The opposite of distress is calmness.
- What does distress mean?
- Distress means physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: distress (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of distress.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/distress. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.