distressful

adjective

di-ˈstres-fəl How to pronounce distressful (audio)
Definition of distressfulnext
1
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings the distressful period during which we waited to learn who had made the cut

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress the distressful living conditions in the refugee camp

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distressful Carrying debt can be incredibly distressful, especially with sky-high prices for food, gas and housing. — Mallika Mitra, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026 And yet behind the distressful scene, a young man continues to butcher an animal. — Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024 Despite the distressful news of Houston’s death that day, the event went forward to create a space for guests to mourn. — Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressful
  1. uneasy
  2. tragic
  3. disturbing
  4. unfortunate
  5. tense
  6. anxious
  7. unsettling
  8. nervous
Adjective
  • An uneasy quiet took over the boat as customers waited for another catch.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Republican candidates are facing voters uneasy, even angry about high prices and an unpopular war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • Encouragement from his longtime confidante and collaborator helped the comedian write about the loss of his beloved home before Reiner’s tragic killing in December 2025 alongside his wife, Michele, in Brentwood.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Reynolds, a Black disabled man with a limb difference, is given a character of substance that isn’t tragic or inspirational.
    — Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • Even when the metaphor is painfully on the nose, the film’s most disturbing images are more than their dramatic limitations and a whale is still an astonishing place to spend a movie.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • When her aunt Helena and paralyzed grandmother Regina arrive, the fragile boundaries between everyday life, ancestral superstition and Trina’s increasingly disturbing nightmares begin to collapse.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Choosing the most abject—or unfortunate—car names will never not be funny.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The timing was unfortunate for Saudi Arabia, several experts say.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Kushner has defended his private sector connections as having enabled the United States to gain leverage and breakthroughs in tense negotiations.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge, played by Rory Kinnear, reveals the news to Hal Wyler, Vice President of the United States, played by Rufus Sewell, in a rather tense meeting in London.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • An adorable pup in Louisiana was anxious to swim into rising Gulf of Mexico waters, doing a stationary doggie paddle while being carried through a flood during Hurricane Isaias.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Down at Advanced Base Camp on the Tibetan side, the anxious Indian team could see two headlamps light up their descent high on the mountain.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • The mystery comedy, loosely inspired by the 1989 film starring Tom Hanks, follows a married couple whose move into the husband's childhood home exposes unsettling secrets in their seemingly quiet suburban neighborhood.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Liminal Yellow can read as warm or slightly unsettling, WGSN says, depending on how it is styled.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsettling
Adjective
  • Any agency whose main product is activity rather than thinking should be very nervous right now; frankly, some of them should have been nervous years ago.
    — Angelica Kopec, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Consumers in the country, nervous about the shaky economy, are loading up on gold jewelry, bars and coins.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of nervous

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Cite this Entry

“Distressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressful. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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