avoid distress

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "avoid distress" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing strategies or actions aimed at preventing emotional or physical discomfort. Example: "To maintain a healthy work-life balance, it's important to implement practices that help avoid distress during busy periods."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Because these asset managers can operate on a longer horizon than banks, they can avoid distress sales.

The Economist

Some of us keep up an air of stoic indifference to reviews, some avoid distress by refusing to read them, but we all care, and for good reasons.

The New Yorker

Even if gasps are not uncomfortable for the dying child, a treatment would seem to be required to avoid distress of the witnessing parents.

Annals of Intensive Care

Therefore, firms offering higher dividend payments to their shareholders have more incentives to engage in hedging to avoid distress costs and underinvestment problems.

Business Research

He thereby grounds justice, understood as the rules governing human intercourse, in his moral psychology, i.e., the need to avoid distress.

SEP

However, isolating RNA from milk would be a useful and cost-effective technique that may avoid distress to the animal and facilitate the collection of samples in time series experiments.

Journal of Dairy Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

Few writers deny that avoiding distress would be a good reason, although some believe (without much evidence) that a norm of taking organs and overriding families' opposition would come to be accepted (Harris 2003).

SEP

Moreover, lower medication adherence has been reported among HIV-positive patients avoiding distress [ 36].

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

It avoids distress for the carer to have to listen to patients' concerns and for the patient to be reminded of the carer's burden.

BMC Medical Ethics

Difficulties could take the form of (a) problems in resisting temptation in response to appetitive stimuli leading to substance abuse; (b) impulsive binging that is negatively reinforced as a means of avoiding distress; and (c) a consistent, habitual pattern of excessive substance use such as found in alcohol dependence.

Clinical Psychology Review

Although the interviewers will be sensitive and avoid causing distress to the interviewee as far as possible, the information sheet will also highlight the potential risk of distress to the participant from participation and explicitly note that the interview itself is for research purposes, although it may also be profitable to discuss experiences.

BMJ Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about sensitive topics, use "avoid distress" to emphasize the importance of ethical considerations and minimizing harm to individuals involved.

Common error

While "avoid distress" is generally acceptable, overuse in formal writing can make your tone seem overly cautious. Consider using stronger verbs that actively address the root causes of the distress, rather than simply avoiding the outcome.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "avoid distress" primarily functions as an infinitive phrase, often used to express the purpose or intention behind an action, as seen in Ludwig's examples. It indicates the goal of preventing emotional or physical suffering.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "avoid distress" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to indicate the intention to prevent emotional or physical suffering. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts, particularly in science, news and media, and wiki articles. When writing, consider stronger verbs to address the root causes of distress. Alternatives like "prevent suffering" or "mitigate discomfort" may provide more nuanced meanings. Using "avoid distress" ethically and contextually maintains clarity and sensitivity in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prevent suffering

Focuses on preventing a more intense form of negative experience, implying a greater degree of harm.

mitigate discomfort

Suggests reducing the severity of an existing negative state rather than complete avoidance.

minimize anguish

Emphasizes reducing severe mental or emotional suffering.

avert sorrow

Focuses specifically on preventing feelings of sadness or grief.

forestall unease

Implies proactively preventing a feeling of anxiety or apprehension from arising.

circumvent stress

Highlights avoiding situations or circumstances that cause tension or strain.

sidestep misery

Suggests cleverly avoiding situations that would lead to unhappiness.

dodge torment

Implies escaping a state of severe physical or mental suffering through quick or evasive actions.

ward off anxiety

Suggests actively defending against feelings of worry or nervousness.

elude depression

Focuses on avoiding the onset or experience of a prolonged state of sadness.

FAQs

How can I use "avoid distress" in a sentence?

You can use "avoid distress" to describe actions taken to prevent emotional or physical suffering. For instance, "The company implemented new policies to "avoid distress" among employees during the restructuring process."

What can I say instead of "avoid distress"?

You can use alternatives like "prevent suffering", "mitigate discomfort", or "minimize anguish" depending on the specific context and the intensity of the negative experience you're addressing.

Which is correct, "avoid distress" or "prevent distress"?

Both "avoid distress" and "prevent distress" are grammatically correct, but they carry slightly different nuances. "Avoid distress" implies steering clear of situations that may cause distress, while "prevent distress" suggests taking action to stop distress from occurring or worsening.

What's the difference between "avoid distress" and "relieve distress"?

"Avoid distress" focuses on preventing distress from happening in the first place, while "relieve distress" aims to reduce or alleviate distress that is already present. Therefore, you would use "relieve distress" when discussing methods for easing existing suffering.