Distress
Distress noun - The state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil.
Usage example: a ship in distress
Helplessness and distress are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Helplessness" instead a noun "Distress".
Helplessness
Helplessness noun - The state of needing help from something.
Show all Definitions
Synonyms for Helplessness
Distress and helplessness are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Distress" instead a noun "Helplessness".
Nearby Words: helpless, helplessly
Both words in one sentence
-
Her wiles may include apparent helplessness and distress, and appeals to the man's greed, desire for revenge, or gullibility, as well as the implication of possible romance or sexual rewards, while The Vamp more often reliances on raunchy sex or the promise of it sometime real soon
Source: Femme Fatale - A couple of times his helplessness causes him legitimate distress, but his sense of duty to stay and report the news keeps him at the station.
Source: Podcast / Welcome to Night Vale - Ada Wong initially showed very mild Damsel in Distress qualities in her first appearance, but by the fourth game in the series, there was no question that she was a first-class example, to the point that it's clear in retrospect that her original helplessness was playact the whole time.
Source: Femme Fatale
Cite this Source
Helplessness and Distress. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 01, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/distress/helplessness
Distress & Helplessness. N.p., 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/distress/helplessness>.
Helplessness or Distress. 2016. Accessed August 01, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/distress/helplessness.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "distress" and "helplessness" have occurred on timeline