Search the Dictionary

rchase upon this coast, except two small vessels of Golconda. De Foe. A beauty-waning and distressed widow . . . Made prize and purchase of his lustful eye. Shak.

d two) together, to draw an inference; to form a correct conclusion. -- To put to it, to distress; to press hard; to perplex; to give difficulty to. "O gentle lady, do not put me to 't." Shak. -- To put to rights, to arrange in proper order; to settle or compose rightly. -- To put to the sword, to kill with the swor…

To draw back, as from anything repugnant, distressing, alarming, or the like; to shrink. Shak.

Shelter or protection from danger or distress. Rocks, dens, and caves! But I in none of these Find place or refuge. Milton. We might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Heb. vi. 18.

, or offered for acceptance. Do they not seek occasion of new quarrels, On my refusal, to distress me more Milton.

Unmoved by appeals for sympathy or forgiveness; insensible to the distresses of others; destitute of tenderness; unrelenting; unyielding; unpitying; as, a prey to relentless despotism. For this the avenging power employs his darts,.. Thus will persist, relentless in his ire. Dryden. -- Re*lent"less*ly, adv. -- Re*lent…

To free, wholly or partly, from any burden, trial, evil, distress, or the like; to give ease, comfort, or consolation to; to give aid, help, or succor to; to support, strengthen, or deliver; as, to relieve a besieged town. Now lend assistance and relieve the poor. Dryden.

ng without remorse; having no pity; hence, destitute of sensibility; cruel; insensible to distress; merciless. "Remorseless adversaries." South. "With remorseless cruelty." Milton.

wrongfully taken or detained. Originally, it was a remedy peculiar to cases for wrongful distress, but it may generally now be brought in all cases of wrongful taking or detention. Bouvier.

To cry loudly, as in pain, distress, or anger. Sole on the barren sands, the suffering chief Roared out for anguish, and indulged his grief. Dryden. He scorned to roar under the impressions of a finite anger. South.

A loud, deep, prolonged sound, as of a large beast, or of a person in distress, anger, mirth, etc., or of a noisy congregation.

s; as, a roughshod horse. To ride roughshod, to pursue a course regardless of the pain or distress it may cause others.

That which causes pity or compassion; misery; distress; a pitiful. [Obs.] It had been hard this ruth for to see. Chaucer. With wretched miseries and woeful ruth. Spenser.

h such a sacks are made of; coarse cloth; anciently, a cloth or garment worn in mourning, distress, mortification, or penitence. Gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. 2 Sam. iii. 31. Thus with sackcloth I invest my woe. Sandys.

Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as, severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold.

The quality or power of distressing or paining; extreme degree; extremity; intensity; inclemency; as, the severity of pain or anguish; the severity of cold or heat; the severity of the winter.

Very trying to the feelings; pierching; keen; severe; painful; distressing; as, sharp pain, weather; a sharp and frosty air. Sharp misery had worn him to the bones. Shak. The morning sharp and clear. Cowper. In sharpest perils faithful proved. Keble.

To resort to expedients for accomplishing a purpose; to contrive; to manage. Men in distress will look to themselves, and leave their companions to schift as well as they can. L'Estrange.

or retire, as from danger; to decline action from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress. What happier natures shrink at with affright, The hard inhabitant contends is right. Pope. They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank from the task. Jowett (Thucyd.)

ood friend There's nobody loves you better than I. Arbuthnot. The embarrassed look of shy distress And maidenly shamefacedness. Wordsworth.