distressing 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety distressing signs that another war might be imminent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress the distressing death of our favorite actor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings the distressing habit of constantly fiddling with her hair

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

distressing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of distress
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy don't let all the bad news distress you

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 distressing
Adjective
Plot The film opens with news reports of a string of grave robbings in Texas, along with a litany of other violent and distressing reports of world events. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026 Car rides, unfamiliar buildings, kennel waits and sharing space with strangers can turn a routine appointment into a genuinely distressing experience. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026 Light wash indigo and dark indigo with heavy whiskering and distressing remain the dominate palette, but non-indigo colors like charcoal, olive, ecru and sand are gaining importance. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 My line supply decreases with distressing rapidity. — Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026 The Physical And Mental Toll Of Protecting Wildlife Ranger work is physically challenging, often emotionally distressing, but essential. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 As distressing as their circumstance is, Naim and Ryan are unmistakably positioned as heroic lovers, not victims-to-be. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 The omission is very distressing. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026 But collapsing into a debate about purity is distressing. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 June 2026
Verb
Thieves have tried to break into Taylor Minatogawa’s business five times in the last two months, distressing him so much he’s spent at least a dozen nights inside his shop keeping guard. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026 Its mid-rise Harlow jeans are composed of a cotton and elastane blend, with a powder-blue hue and strategic hints of distressing down the leg. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressing
  1. disturbing
  2. tragic
  3. uneasy
  4. alarming
  5. unsettling
  6. unfortunate
  7. anxious
  8. distracting
Adjective
  • And so the disturbing part of the dissent in the mail ballot case was that this was about a very narrow issue, whether ballots that are postmarked by Election Day can be counted if they're received in some period after.
    — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 8 July 2026
  • The film is a modern take on creature horror movies told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • But trade theft cases in Silicon Valley are usually pointless and tragic because information finds a way out of companies anyway.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 July 2026
  • Thamman pointed to the tragic outcome for Freya the friendly walrus, who went viral online in 2022 for climbing onto small boats to sunbathe in the Oslo Fjord.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • Now Gauff and her next opponent, Karolina Muchova, face off Thursday for a chance to transform their mutually uneasy relationships with the green blades beneath their feet into the biggest grass-court breakthrough of their careers.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The result is a tension stretched nearly to the snapping point, then resolved in an uneasy detente.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Verb
  • So, even just the unusual presence of an aircraft in this area made this incident alarming for one resident, Anna, who spoke to CNN near the scene.
    — Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • At the same time, the state’s spending keeps growing quickly as well, alarming the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises the Legislature on fiscal matters.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of alarming
Adjective
  • After all, Against Nature is all about the unsettling atmosphere and the senses.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2026
  • Seeking a fresh start, Ellie moves into a house on Delaney Row hoping to leave her troubled past behind, only to discover that her new home is steeped in dark secrets and unsettling mysteries.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
Definition of unsettling
Adjective
  • Healthcare has an unfortunate tendency to confuse organizational structure with progress.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • This leads to another unfortunate confrontation with a Bowden parent, as Tom drags Cady into the street and beats him up in full view of lookie-loos with phone cameras.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Max is accompanied on his adventures by anxious robot C-3PO AB Sitter, and FX, a magical alien masquerading as a toy who can turn the kid's implausibly impressive sand sculptures into fully functioning robots.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
  • America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
Definition of anxious
Verb
  • The conversational delivery keeps listeners engaged without distracting from the content, creating a disruption-free experience that enhances ad reception.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Mesh or woven flats provide texture without being distracting.
    — Emma Bocchi, Glamour, 7 July 2026
Definition of distracting

Browse Nearby Words

distressfully
distressing
distressingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressing. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on distressing

Nglish: Translation of distressing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All