The biologist was distressed to find that the coral reef had suffered severe bleaching from rising ocean temperatures.
生物学家发现珊瑚礁因海洋温度上升而严重白化，感到非常痛苦。
Which choice best defines “distressed”?
C — Suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain. “distressed” means suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
Which word means “suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain”?
A — distressed. “distressed” means suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
distressed — suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain. In Chinese: 痛苦的，忧虑的.
distressed is pronounced /dɪˈstrɛst/.
The biologist was distressed to find that the coral reef had suffered severe bleaching from rising ocean temperatures. (生物学家发现珊瑚礁因海洋温度上升而严重白化，感到非常痛苦。)
anguished, troubled, agitated — all close in meaning to distressed (suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain).
calm, content — each the opposite of distressed (suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain).
Yes. distressed is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.