Definition of distress
- n. - Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as,
to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.
- n. - That which occasions suffering; painful situation;
misfortune; affliction; misery.
- n. - A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress,
from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.
- n. - The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel
out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of
an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent
or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc.
- n. - The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to
procure satisfaction.
- n. - To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with
calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable.
- n. - To compel by pain or suffering.
- n. - To seize for debt; to distrain.