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détresse

distress

noun deh-TRESS Rare

Also means

anguish

Usage Note

Détresse conveys acute suffering, whether emotional or physical, and also appears in formal emergency contexts: signal de détresse means 'distress signal' (e.g. at sea or in aviation). The phrase en détresse ('in distress') is commonly heard in news reports, and navire en détresse describes a ship in difficulty.

Examples

"Elle appelait à l'aide dans la détresse."

Natural Translation

She was calling for help in distress.

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