Word · Frequency #4287
distress
使痛苦；使忧虑；使悲伤
To cause someone worry, unhappiness, or pain.
- 1.
To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
使某人紧张或焦虑
- 2.
To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
扣押某人的财产以抵债
- 3.
To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.
做旧处理(使新物品呈现古旧外观)
做旧；仿旧处理；扣押（财物）；使某人紧张或焦虑；扣押某人的财产以抵债；做旧处理(使新物品呈现古旧外观)
In use
The loud noise distressed the baby, causing her to cry.
He was distressed by the news of his friend's accident.
Please don't distress yourself over such a small mistake.
Verb forms
base distress · third person distresses · -ing distressing · past distressed · past participle distressed
规则动词，过去式和过去分词均加-ed。
Connections
Collocations
- deeply distress
- 使深感痛苦；令非常忧虑
- The tragic news deeply distressed the entire community.这个悲惨的消息使整个社区深感痛苦。
- be distressed by
- 因…而感到焦虑或难过
- She was distressed by the delay in receiving the results.她因迟迟未收到结果而感到焦虑。
- distress goods
- 扣押货物（抵债）
- The creditor had the right to distress the debtor's goods for payment.债权人有权扣押债务人的货物以抵偿债务。
- distress furniture
- 将（新家具）做旧处理
- They distressed the pine table with a chain to give it an antique look.他们用链条把松木桌子做旧，使其呈现古旧外观。
Idioms & figurative uses
- damsel in distress
- 落难女子；需要他人救助的少女She plays the damsel in distress in the new action film.
Learner notes
Memory Tip
联想：distress 拼写里藏着 stress（压力），有压力就会让人痛苦焦虑。
Context & Register
语域：mixed 常见场景：formal writing and news reports (emotional sense)、legal contexts: seizure of property to settle a debt、antique restoration and denim finishing (deliberate aging) distress 作动词有三个义项，语域差异明显：表示“使忧虑/痛苦”时通常偏书面和正式，也可用于较正式口语；法律义“扣押财物”为专业术语；而“做旧处理”多用于家具、衣物等行业。使用时需根据语境判断，不宜混用。
Grammar Note
作为及物动词，后接名词或代词作宾语。
Pronunciation & Spelling
这些词的重读音节都含 /ɛs/，与 distress 押韵。注意 princess、waitress、hostess 等形近词的 -ess 常读作 /əs/ 或重音不同，不与 distress 押韵。
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 2，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.