distressed
upset, strained, or suffering pressure
Roots
- dis- / dif-: apart, away, not, reversal, or disruption
- string / strict: draw tight or bind
Other words with the string / strict root
Stress and strict share the drawn-tight image. Distressed means pressure has tightened around the person or thing.
She sounded distressed after the scholarship email disappeared.
Distressed is easier if you start with stress. Something is pulled tight: a voice, a person, fabric, a system, or a piece of evidence.
The word can be emotional, financial, physical, or material. In each case, pressure has entered and the easy shape is gone.