SG Heritage Dictionary

Distress [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. The act of distraining; the taking of any personal chattel from a wrong-doer, to answer a demand, or procure satisfaction for a wrong committed.

2. The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.

3. A distress of household goods shall be impounded under cover. If the lessor does not find sufficient distress on the premises, etc.

4. Extreme pain; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer great distress from the gout, or from the loss of near friends.

5. Affliction; calamity; misery.

6. On earth distress of nations. Luke 21:23 .

7. A state of danger; as a ship in distress from leaking, loss of spars, or want of provisions or water, etc.

Distress [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To pain; to afflict with pain or anguish; applied to the body or the mind. [Literally, to press or strain.]

2. To afflict greatly; to harass; to oppress with calamity; to make miserable.

3. DISTRESS not the Moabites. Deuteronomy 2:9 .

4. We are troubled on every side, but not distressed. 2 Corinthians 4:8 .

5. To compel by pain or suffering.

6. There are men who can neither be distressed nor won into a sacrifice of duty.

Distress [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.

2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery.

3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.

4. 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.

5. The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.

6. To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable.

7. To compel by pain or suffering.

8. To seize for debt; to distrain.

Distress Encyclopedia Britannica

DISTRESS is one of the few cases in which the law still permits an injured person to take his remedy into his own hands. Other instances mentioned in the text-books are self-defence in the case of a personal assault, the reseizure of property wrongfully taken away, the abatement of nuisances, &c. Distress differs from these as being a remedy for what is really a breach of contract, and it is the only case of the kind in which such a remedy is given. It is the right which the landlord has of seizing the personal chattels of his tenant for non-payment of rent. Cattle damage feasant (doing damage or trespassing upon a neighbour’s land) may also be distrained, i.e., may be detained until satisfaction be rendered for the injury they have done. The cattle or other animals thus distrained are a mere pledge in the hands of the injured person, who has only power to retain them until the owner appear to make satisfaction for the mischief they have done. Distress for rent was also at one time regarded as a mere pledge or security; but the remedy, having been found to be speedy and efficacious, was rendered more perfect by enactments allowing the thing taken to be sold. Blackstone notes that the law of distresses in this respect “has been greatly altered within a few years last past.” The legislature, in fact, converted an ancient right of personal redress into a powerful remedy for the exclusive benefit of a single class of creditors, viz., landlords. Now that the relation of landlord and tenant in England has come to be regarded as purely a matter of contract, the language of the law-books seems to be singularly inappropriate. The defaulting tenant is a “wrong-doer,” the landlord is the “injured party;” any attempt to defeat the landlord’s remedy by carrying off ...

At common law distress was said to be incident to rent service, and by particular reservation to rent charges; but by 4 Geo. II. c. 28 it was extended to rent seek, rents of assize, and chief rents (see Rent.) It is therefore a general remedy for rent certain in arrear. All personal chattels are distrainable with the following exceptions :—1, things in which there can be no property, as animals ferae naturae; 2, things in actual use; 3, things delivered to a person following a public trade, as a horse sent to be shoed, &c.; 4, things already in the custody of the law; 5, money, unless placed in a sealed bag; 6, things which cannot be restored in as good a plight as when distrained; 7, fixtures; 8, beasts of the plough and instruments of husbandry; 9, instruments of a man’s trade or profession. These exceptions, it will be seen, imply that the thing distrained is to be held as a pledge merely—not to be sold. They also imply that in general any chattels found on the land in question are to be available for the benefit of the landlord, whether they belong to the tenant or not. This principle worked with peculiar harshness in the case of lodgers, whose goods might be seized and sold for the payment of the rent due by their landlord to his superior landlord. Now, however, by the Lodgers’ Goods Protection Act (34 and 35 Vict. c. 79), where a lodger’s goods have been seized by the superior landlord the lodger may serve him with a notice stating that the intermediate landlord has no interest in the property seized, but that it is the property or in the lawful possession of the lodger, and setting forth the amount of the rent due by the lodger to his immediate landlord. On payment or tender of such rent the landlord cannot proceed with the distress against the goods in question. And originally the landlord could only seize things actually on the premises,, so that the remedy might be defeated by the things being taken away. But by 9 Anne c. 14, and 11 Geo. II. c. 19, he may follow things fraudulently or clandestinely removed off the premises within thirty days after their removal, unless they have been in the meantime bona fide sold for a valuable consideration.

The sixth exception mentioned above was held to extend to sheaves of corn; but by 2 Will, and Mary c. 5, com, when reaped, as well as hay, was made subject to distress.

Excessive or disproportionate distress exposes the distrainer to an action, and any irregularity formerly made the proceedings void ab initio, so that the remedy was attended with considerable risk. The statute 11 Geo. II. c. 19, before alluded to, in the interests of landlords, protected distresses for rent from the consequences of irregularity. In all cases of distress for rent, if the owner do not within five days replevy the same with sufficient security, the thing distrained may be sold towards satisfaction of the rent and charges, and the surplus, if any, must be returned to the owner. To “replevy” is when the person distrained upon applies to the proper authority (the registrar of the county court) to have the thing returned to his own possession, on giving security to try the right of taking it in an action of replevin.

Duties and penalties imposed by Act of Parliament are sometimes enforced by distress.

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 7, p. 266
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Distressed [Participle passive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Suffering great pain or torture; severely afflicted; harassed; oppressed with calamity or misfortune.

Distressed [Imperfect tense and past participle] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Distress

Distressedness [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

A state of being greatly pained.

Distressedness [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

A state of being distressed or greatly pained.

Distressful [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. Inflicting or bringing distress; as a distressful stroke.

2. Indicating distress; proceeding from pain or anguish; as distressful cries.

3. Calamitous; as a distressful event.

4. Attended with poverty; as distressful bread.

Distressful [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Full of distress; causing, indicating, or attended with, distress; as, a distressful situation.

Distressing [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Very afflicting; affecting with severe pain; as a distressing sickness.

Distressing [Participle present tense] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Giving severe pain; oppressing with affliction.

Distressing [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Causing distress; painful; unpleasant.

Distressing [Adverb] Webster's Dictionary 1913

In a distressing manner.

Distressing [Present participle and verbal noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Distress

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

61 KJV and 122 BSB verses contain “Distress” — showing the first 20. Show all 145 verses (searchable)

Genesis 21:11

And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael.

Genesis 21:12

And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.

Genesis 32:7

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels.

Genesis 35:3

And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Genesis 42:21

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

Genesis 45:5

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.

Exodus 22:23

If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;

If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry.

Numbers 22:3

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 2:9

And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession.”

Deuteronomy 2:19

And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.

But when you get close to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the Ammonites. I have given it to the descendants of Lot as their possession.”

Deuteronomy 4:30

When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.

Deuteronomy 28:53

And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:

Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you.

Deuteronomy 28:55

So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.

refusing to share with any of them the flesh of his children he will eat because he has nothing left in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within all your gates.

Deuteronomy 28:57

And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

the afterbirth that comes from between her legs and the children she bears, because she will secretly eat them for lack of anything else in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within your gates.

Judges 2:15

Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.

Judges 10:9

Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress.

Judges 11:7

And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”

1 Samuel 1:10

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

1 Samuel 2:32

And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.

1 Samuel 13:6

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.