Distress
Distress noun - A state of great suffering of body or mind.
Usage example: the survivors were in extreme distress after having been stranded on the island for a week with no food
Difficulty is a synonym for distress in danger topic. In some cases you can use "Difficulty" instead a noun "Distress", when it comes to topics like effect, affliction, hardship.
Difficulty
Difficulty noun - Something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal.
Distress is a synonym for difficulty in trouble topic. You can use "Distress" instead a noun "Difficulty", if it concerns topics such as problem, effect, affliction, mental burden.
Nearby Word: difficult
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
How words are described
| similar | similar distress | similar difficulty |
| considerable | considerable distress | considerable difficulty |
| real | real distress | real difficulty |
| severe | severe distress | severe difficulty |
| Other adjectives: massive, extreme, great, intense, serious, little, incredible, apparent, less, extra, significant, immense, greater, increasing. | ||
Cite this Source
Difficulty and Distress. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/distress/difficulty
Distress & Difficulty. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/distress/difficulty>.
Difficulty or Distress. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/distress/difficulty.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "distress" and "difficulty" have occurred on timeline