distraught

/dis'trɔ:t/

Thân thiện

A young woman sits on a park bench looking distraught.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Deeply upset, agitated, or distracted: Feeling or showing extreme emotional disturbance, often to the point of being unable to think or act normally. This state is typically caused by overwhelming worry, grief, fear, or anxiety. 2. Mentally confused or troubled: In a state of mental conflict or distraction.

Usage

The adjective "distraught" describes a person's intense emotional state. It is stronger than words like "upset" or "worried" and implies a loss of emotional control or clarity. It is often used with prepositions like "with" or "over" to indicate the cause of the distress.

Examples

• She was distraught after hearing the terrible news.
• The distraught mother searched frantically for her lost child.
• He became distraught with worry when the plane was delayed.
• The witness was too distraught to give a coherent statement to the police.

Advanced Usage

• "To be distraught over something": To be extremely upset about a specific event or situation.
  • She was distraught over the loss of her family heirlooms.
• "To render someone distraught": To cause someone to become extremely upset (a more formal construction).
  • The sudden accusation rendered him distraught.

Variants and Related Words

• Distract (verb): To divert someone's attention. While related etymologically, "distract" is less intense and more about divided attention than deep emotional turmoil.
• Distraction (noun): Something that diverts attention; a state of being distracted.

Synonyms

• Agitated: Troubled or nervous.
• Frenzied: Wildly excited or uncontrolled.
• Hysterical: Deriving from or affected by uncontrolled emotion.
• Beside oneself: In a state of overwhelming emotion.
• Overwrought: In a state of nervous excitement or anxiety.

Antonyms

• Calm: Not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.
• Composed: Having one's feelings and expression under control.
• Collected: Calm and self-controlled.
• Serene: Calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Idioms and Phrases

While "distraught" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, it is frequently used in descriptive phrases: - "Worried sick/distraught with worry": Extremely anxious. - She was distraught with worry while waiting for the test results.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. deeply agitated especially from emotion
   • distraught with grief

Từ đồng nghĩa

• overwrought