Distress is a state of extreme worry, pain, or suffering. When someone is in distress, they're experiencing serious difficulty and usually need help. A hiker lost in the woods at nightfall is in distress. A ship taking on water sends out a distress signal to alert nearby vessels that it needs rescue.

The word captures something more intense than ordinary worry or discomfort. You might feel nervous before a presentation, but you'd feel distress if you suddenly couldn't breathe or if you witnessed a serious accident. A student struggling with one hard math problem feels frustrated, but a student who has fallen far behind in every subject and doesn't know how to catch up might feel genuine distress.

Distress can be physical, like the distress your body feels during a high fever, or emotional, like the distress of losing someone you love. When something causes you distress, it distresses you. A distressing situation is one that causes this kind of serious upset.

The opposite of distress is comfort or ease. When rescuers arrive to help someone in distress, their goal is to relieve that suffering and restore a sense of safety.