different between abash vs distress
abash
English
Alternative forms
- abasse
Etymology
First attested in 1303. From Middle English abaisen, abaishen, abashen (“to gape with surprise”) etc., from Anglo-Norman abaïss, from Middle French abair, abaisser (“to astonish, alter”), from Old French esbaïr, (French ébahir), from es- (“utterly”) + baïr (“to astonish”), from Medieval Latin *exbad?, from ex- (“out of”) + bado (“I gape, yawn”), an onomatopoeic word imitating a yawn, see also French badaud (“rubbernecker”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /??bæ?/
- (General American) IPA(key): /??bæ?/
- Rhymes: -æ?
Verb
abash (third-person singular simple present abashes, present participle abashing, simple past and past participle abashed)
- (transitive) To make ashamed; to embarrass; to destroy the self-possession of, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, mistake, or inferiority; to disconcert; to discomfit. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).]
- Synonyms: bewilder, confuse, confound, daunt, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, dishearten, embarrass, faze, fluster, humble, humiliate, mortify, rattle, shake, shame, snub
- Antonyms: abet, animate, buoy, cheer, countenance, embolden, encourage, incite, inspirit, rally, reassure, uphold
- 1849, Thomas Macaulay, History of England, Chapter 14
- He was a man whom no check could abash
- (intransitive, obsolete) To lose self-possession; to become ashamed. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 16th century.]
Usage notes
- Of abash, confuse, confound: Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound.
- We are abashed when struck either with sudden shame or with a humbling sense of inferiority; as, Peter was abashed by the look of his Master. So a modest youth is abashed in the presence of those who are greatly his superiors.
- We are confused when, from some unexpected or startling occurrence, we lose clearness of thought and self-possession. Thus, a witness is often confused by a severe cross-examination; a timid person is apt to be confused in entering a room full of strangers.
- We are confounded when our minds are overwhelmed, as it were, by something wholly unexpected, amazing, dreadful, etc., so that we have nothing to say. Thus, a criminal is usually confounded at the discovery of his guilt.
- Satan stood Awhile as mute, confounded what to say. – John Milton
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:abash
Derived terms
Translations
References
Anagrams
- Basha, Sabah, basha, sabha
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distress
English
Etymology
The verb is from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier (“to restrain, constrain, put in straits, afflict, distress”); compare French détresse. Ultimately from Medieval Latin as if *districtiare, an assumed frequentative form of Latin distringere (“to pull asunder, stretch out”), from dis- (“apart”) + stringere (“to draw tight, strain”).
The noun is from Middle English distresse, from Old French destrece, ultimately also from Latin distringere.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /d??st??s/
- Rhymes: -?s
Noun
distress (countable and uncountable, plural distresses)
- (Cause of) discomfort.
- For more quotations using this term, see Citations:distress.
- Serious danger.
- For more quotations using this term, see Citations:distress.
- (medicine) An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
- (law) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
- (law) 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.
- The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.
Derived terms
- distress signal
Antonyms
- (maladaptive stress): eustress
Related terms
- distrain
- district
Translations
Verb
distress (third-person singular simple present distresses, present participle distressing, simple past and past participle distressed)
- To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
- Synonyms: anguish, harrow, trouble, vex, torment, tantalize, tantalise, martyr
- (law) To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
- Synonym: distrain
- To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.
- Synonyms: age, antique, patinate
Translations
Further reading
- distress in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- distress in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- distress at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams
- disserts
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