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Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends. Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress. Shak.

A state of being distressed or greatly pained.

Full of distress; causing, indicating, or attended with, distress; as, a distressful situation. "Some distressful stroke." Shak. "Distressful cries." Pope. -- Dis*tress"ful*ly, adv.

Causing distress; painful; unpleasant.

as, abuse of a female child. [Obs.] Or is it some abuse, and no such thing Shak. Abuse of distress (Law), a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer.

To suffer pain; to have, or be in, pain, or in continued pain; to be distressed. "My old bones ache." Shak. The sins that in your conscience ache. Keble.

To inflict some great injury or hurt upon, causing continued pain or mental distress; to trouble grievously; to torment. They did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. Exod. i. 11. That which was the worst now least afflicts me. Milton.

Grievously painful; distressing; afflictive; as, an afflicting event. -- Af*flict"ing*ly, adv.

use of continued pain of body or mind, as sickness, losses, etc.; an instance of grievous distress; a pain or grief. To repay that money will be a biting affliction. Shak.

Giving pain; causing continued or repeated pain or grief; distressing. "Jove's afflictive hand." Pope. Spreads slow disease, and darts afflictive pain. Prior.

To make great; to enlarge; to increase; as, to aggrandize our conceptions, authority, distress.

Extreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress. But they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. Ex. vi. 9. Anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child. Jer. iv. 31.

A state of restlessness and agitation, often with general indisposition and a distressing sense of oppression at the epigastrium. Dunglison.

To give support to in some undertaking or effort, or in time of distress; to help; to aid; to succor. Assist me, knight. I am undone! Shak.

The defendant in replevin, who avows the distress of the goods, and justifies the taking. Cowell.

Causing, or fitted to cause, pain or distress to the mind; calamitous; poignant. It is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God. Jer. ii. 19.

ive sense; implacableness; resentfulness; severity; keenness of reproach or sarcasm; deep distress, grief, or vexation of mind. The lip that curls with bitterness. Percival. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job vii. 11.

t money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc.; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud. [U. S.]

Producing, or attended with distress and misery; making wretched; wretched; unhappy. "This sad and calamitous condition." South. "A calamitous prison" Milton.

A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery. The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise. Burke. Where'er I came I brought calamity. Tennyson.