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Added 10 October 2026

distraught

/dɪsˈtɹɔːt/ adjective

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about distraught at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Deeply hurt, saddened, or worried; incapacitated by distress.
His distraught widow cried for days, feeling very alone.
Mad; insane.

Origin

From Middle English distraught, blend of distract (“distracted”) and straught (“stretched, distraught”), past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”). Compare also bestraught, extraught, forstraught, etc. More at distract, stretch.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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