Dis·tress n.
 1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.
    Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress.   --Shak.
 2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery.
    Affliction's sons are brothers in distress.   --Burns.
 3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.
 4. Law (a) The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc. (b) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
    If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.   --Spenser.
    The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.   --Blackstone.
 Abuse of distress. Law See under Abuse.
 Syn: -- Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See Affliction.


 A·buse n.
 1. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.
    Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power.   --Madison.
 2. Physical ill treatment; injury. “Rejoice . . . at the abuse of Falstaff.”
 3. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.
    Abuse after disappeared without a struggle..   --Macaulay.
 4. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.
    The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows.   --Macaulay.
 5. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. [Obs.]
    Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?   --Shak.
 Abuse of distress Law, a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer.
 Syn: -- Invective; contumely; reproach; scurrility; insult; opprobrium.
 Usage: -- Abuse, Invective. Abuse is generally prompted by anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. It is more personal and coarse than invective. Abuse generally takes place in private quarrels; invective in writing or public discussions. Invective may be conveyed in refined language and dictated by indignation against what is blameworthy.

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