Dis‐tress″ (?), n. [OE. destresse, distresse, OF. destresse, destrece, F. détresse, OF. destrecier to distress, (assumed) LL. districtiare, fr. L. districtus, p. p. of distringere. See Distrain, and cf. Stress.] 1. 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.
2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery.
Affliction's sons are brothers in distress. Burns.
3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.
4. (Law) (a) The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc. (b) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction. Bouvier. Kent. Burrill.
If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle. Spenser.
The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. Blackstone.
Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse.
Syn. — Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See Affliction.