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
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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
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Recent Examples of distressful
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
Justice Harry Blackmun, who wrote for the Roe-affirming majority in 1973, included a brief list of the potential detriments of forcing women to carry pregnancies to term: Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 6 July 2022
The definition of trauma is anything distressful.
—Julia M. Chan, CNN, 15 Mar. 2022
But the results, Mr. Chancellor observes, were not as distressful for the rich as a medieval canonist might have hoped.
—Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
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
Justice Harry Blackmun, who wrote for the Roe-affirming majority in 1973, included a brief list of the potential detriments of forcing women to carry pregnancies to term: Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 6 July 2022
The definition of trauma is anything distressful.
—Julia M. Chan, CNN, 15 Mar. 2022
But the results, Mr. Chancellor observes, were not as distressful for the rich as a medieval canonist might have hoped.
—Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressful
Adjective
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Consumer sentiment and expectations Americans are feeling uneasy about the economy, and that is showing up in the data.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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Markets have been turbulent ever since as trade policy uncertainty leaves investors uneasy.—
Chris DiLella,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident.—
Phil Boucher,
People.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Boca Bash drowning The 2018 Boca Bash turned tragic when 32-year-old Francis Roselin, of West Palm Beach, drowned.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The lack of caring about my childhood was so disturbing.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2025
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Instead, this is yet another disturbing reminder that our society values certain lives more than others.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Such a difficult call really spotlighted for the first time how tough a situation he has been left in by Eddie Howe’s unfortunate absence (due to pneumonia).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
They are characterized by tense exchanges, audience ejections and, in one case, stun guns deployed to subdue two attendees.—
Averi Harper,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2025
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At one point, he's shown punching a wooden door, and his relationship with girlfriend Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt, seems tense.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The voice of Pope Francis has been such a voice—gentle, disarming, and at times, unsettling.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
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These experiments busted the urban myth but also pointed to a the truth about how companies like Facebook sometimes serve up such disturbingly accurate advertisements that is much more complex, and unsettling.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Another reason people put off going to bed is to avoid feeling anxious or restless, said James Rowley, MD, a sleep medicine expert at Rush University Medical Center and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
30 Apr. 2025
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Professionally, Xavier is anxious about future tax exposure from his deferred compensation.—
Brian Lasher,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Dellow was nervous about rush hour traffic, but the Uber dropped Nikishin off at 6:45 p.m. at the airport.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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Your younger colleague is nervous about each conversation.—
Jay Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressful. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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