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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressful
Adjective
-
And that helped to resolve that weird uneasy tension in my head.—
Maria Reva
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The safe-haven asset offers investors a hedge against an uneasy financial environment as a sharp hiring slowdown coincides with a steady uptick of inflation, according to analysts.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Amid the anniversary of that tragic night, Meredith shared a photo on her Instagram Stories of herself and Madeline posing together at the beach.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Her tragic death ultimately sets Hank on a path of both vengeance and personal redemption.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In the disturbing footage, Raja was seen entering the ring and picking up Smith above his head before slamming him hard on the mat.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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In both cases, dispatchers heard what sounded like gunshots in the background of the calls — lending a disturbing realism.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Injuries are unfortunate, but shouldn’t be legally actionable outside of cases of true neglect.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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No doubt my disdain for Labor Day has everything to do with its unfortunate spot on the calendar.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After a turbulent few weeks, things only became more tense when Sean McLaughlin and Allyshia Gupta claimed to have information that could destroy the relationship.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The first section is reasonably tense and engrossing.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For some, the realism is unsettling.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
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But if a person, a living, breathing human being, is going to potentially be looking at their prompts, that seems outrageous and extremely unsettling.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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From anxious to adoptable Ginger is now considered adoptable and will soon be ready to look for her forever home.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
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That’s a rich dichotomy, and whenever the narrative voice drills into the specificity of Ruth’s anxious imagination, the reader is rewarded.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Against Świątek, in two nervous moments, one of them on match point, net cords had given her safe harbor.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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The district’s disparate parts would be connected largely by two-lane highways cutting through steep slopes of places such as the Modoc National Forest, where nervous drivers must beware of a lack of guardrails.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressful. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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