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distressedly

distressedly

7.5
In a way that makes something look old and worn
  • adverb
  • /dɪˈstrɛstɪdli/
translation icon : desgastadamente
  • Many people prefer their jeans to be styled distressedly for a fashionable, worn-in appearance.

Examples

  • The cabinet was finished distressedly, making it look as if it had been used for decades.

  • The designer painted the table distressedly to create a rustic, vintage look for the living room.

  • The chair was painted distressedly to give it a vintage look.

  • She wore her jeans distressedly for a casual appearance.

  • The designer painted the table distressedly to create a rustic, vintage look for the living room.

  • Many people prefer their jeans to be styled distressedly for a fashionable, worn-in appearance.

  • The cabinet was finished distressedly, making it look as if it had been used for decades.

Synonyms

shabbily
vsdistressedly
1 4.4

In a way that looks old and not cared for

is an intentional aged or worn look rather than genuine wear
grungily
vsdistressedly
8.5

In a dirty, shabby way that looks old and untidy

is more about a styled, artificially aged look than actual dirt

Antonyms

63 5.1

Very clean and fresh, like new

Surface Forms

distressedly positive

Morphology

distressedly = distressed (semi-transparent) = distress + ed + ly

Morphologically regular ('distressed' + '-ly'), but the adjectival sense 'distressed' meaning 'artificially aged or worn' is specialized and may not be predictable from 'distress' for many learners.

Etymology

Distressedly also comes from the verb distress meaning 'to damage' or 'make old' on purpose, as when designers rub or cut jeans or furniture; so something done distressedly is made to look worn and used by design.