English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com

distraught

The origin and history of distraught.

Etymology

From Middle English distraught, a blend of distract (in an older sense meaning "pulled apart mentally") and straught, an old past participle of stretch — so originally something like "stretched to breaking point."

← Back to the full definition of distraught
Etymology from freedict-original, original.