duress

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈdʊrɛs/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    Threats, violence, constraints, or other action used to coerce someone into doing something against their will or better judgment.; In law, a defense that a person acted under the threat of harm, making the act involuntary.; Archaic: forcible restraint or imprisonment.

🔗 Details

Word forms

uncountable

Collocations

under duressact under duresssign under duressconfess under duressobtained under duress

Synonyms

coercioncompulsionforcepressureconstraintintimidation

Antonyms

freedomvoluntariness

Commonly confused

distress
EN: 'Distress' refers to extreme suffering or sorrow; 'duress' refers specifically to unlawful force or threats used to compel someone to act.
stress
EN: 'Stress' is general mental or physical pressure; 'duress' implies illegal or wrongful compulsion by another party.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'duress' with 'distress' — 'duress' has no 't' and specifically denotes unlawful compulsion, not general suffering.

💬 Examples

  1. He claimed he signed the confession under duress and that it should be inadmissible in court.

  2. The defendant pleaded duress, arguing that he had been threatened with death if he did not comply.

  3. The prisoner was held in duress for several months before his trial.