1
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
distressing signs that another war might be imminent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
don't let all the bad news distress you
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distressing
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
What to Do If Your Dog Goes Missing While Uma’s story ended with more laughs than tears, many missing dog incidents can take a far more distressing turn.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Zettel's murder comes years after a restraining order against her daughter expired and several distressing incidents involving Lauren Spors were reported to authorities in the last decade.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Angel Down is very readable and very distressing.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Sanchez’s family calls it a ‘deeply distressing time’ Sanchez was in the city to work as an analyst on Fox Sports’ broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
While their Instagram accounts are filled with doting posts about each other, Kwame shared a distressing update about his health in January, revealing that he'd been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Parks recalls a distressing moment when three kids under her care opened her locked front door and ran out.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Implementing either policy would harm patients and cause distressing drug shortages and access issues.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Justice Seekers are transforming fashion into armor through aggressive details like heavy distressing, slashes, spikes and harsh dye treatment.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
What to Do If Your Dog Goes Missing While Uma’s story ended with more laughs than tears, many missing dog incidents can take a far more distressing turn.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Zettel's murder comes years after a restraining order against her daughter expired and several distressing incidents involving Lauren Spors were reported to authorities in the last decade.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Angel Down is very readable and very distressing.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Sanchez’s family calls it a ‘deeply distressing time’ Sanchez was in the city to work as an analyst on Fox Sports’ broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
While their Instagram accounts are filled with doting posts about each other, Kwame shared a distressing update about his health in January, revealing that he'd been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Parks recalls a distressing moment when three kids under her care opened her locked front door and ran out.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Implementing either policy would harm patients and cause distressing drug shortages and access issues.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
Adjective
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So much of what happens in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is disturbing — in particular, the character of Leatherface, the menacing, basement-dwelling killer who eats people and wears their faces after killing them.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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What makes this even more disturbing is the involvement of teenagers, alcohol, and guns at a large house party.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Add stories of famous guests, tragic events or paranormal occurrences, and for curiosity seekers and those searching for a possible supernatural experience, here are some great places to explore.—
Noreen Kompanik,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
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The confession struck him as both raw and deeply tragic, a glimpse of how ambition hardens into captivity.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Lawler, the best known of the young actors thanks to her breakout work in Station Eleven, brings welcome awkward humor, while Stack, with the series’ most complex character, conveys an uneasy grasp on sanity that the rest of the show isn’t really prepared to deal with.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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BofA also points to a record 54% of investors who now believe that AI stocks are in a bubble, according to its most recent Global Fund Manager Survey—another reason for heightened vigilance around the market’s uneasy exuberance.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Browning has thrown eight interceptions in four starts, which was alarming enough for the Bengals to make a move.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
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But also alarming is that government officials don’t seem to take seriously the need to justify the reasons for their use of force, which should only be wielded to protect the rights of Americans.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Louise Hémon The jury would also like to acknowledge a director whose film transported us into an extreme landscape, and created an unsettling atmosphere that kept us contemplating the nature of lust, education, and violence.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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Soon, though, her world is turned upside down by an unsettling and persistent stalker — or just a figment of her own fracturing psyche.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, prosecutors allege the nearly three-dozen defendants cheated unfortunate players out of at least $7 million.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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The knee injury marks an unfortunate end to Duck’s second season.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some men avoid the gym or the beach altogether, wear baggy shirts year-round or feel anxious about intimacy.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Ottosson says reading the script was an anxious experience in itself.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Karbler notes that Bigelow resisted that depiction for fear of distracting from the emotional moment.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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Surprisingly, the injury helped him in this regard by distracting him from overanalyzing his game.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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