מְצוּקָה
מצוקה is that state in which we need help – distress.
For example:
כשהיא נפלה היא לחצה על לחצן המצוקה, והגיעו לעזור.
When she fell she pressed the distress button, and (people) came to help.
מצוקה is also used in expressions that refer to poverty – a distressful life circumstance – as in שכונת מצוקה – a poor neighborhood.
