as in drearily
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Recent Examples of distressingly
Epidemics such as these are distressingly common.
—
Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Most distressingly to protesters, there is no way to request the DNA samples’ destruction, and the process to get DNA profiles expunged from the database comes with extra costs and could take as long as five years.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
In many ways, Donovan’s story is distressingly familiar.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
In essence, Bright Lights, Big City, instead of being emotionally provoking and riveting, is distressingly gray and tedious, enlivened only by Fox’s gifted histrionics.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
More distressingly, their 11 losses last season didn’t just mark the head coach’s first losing season since his tenure in Kansas City began in 2013.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2026
The pipeline of new antibiotics remains distressingly thin, and most drugs currently in development are structurally similar to existing antibiotics, potentially limiting their effectiveness.
—André O. Hudson, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026
That can be forgiven thanks to the film’s evocative imagery and the emotional resonance of its central themes, distressingly familiar to anyone who has ever lost themselves in a relationship.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
The running game is a mess, Carson Wentz is often running for his life, and the defense proved distressingly vulnerable to big plays in last weekend’s 28-22 loss to Philadelphia.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Most distressingly to protesters, there is no way to request the DNA samples’ destruction, and the process to get DNA profiles expunged from the database comes with extra costs and could take as long as five years.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
In many ways, Donovan’s story is distressingly familiar.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
In essence, Bright Lights, Big City, instead of being emotionally provoking and riveting, is distressingly gray and tedious, enlivened only by Fox’s gifted histrionics.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
More distressingly, their 11 losses last season didn’t just mark the head coach’s first losing season since his tenure in Kansas City began in 2013.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2026
The pipeline of new antibiotics remains distressingly thin, and most drugs currently in development are structurally similar to existing antibiotics, potentially limiting their effectiveness.
—André O. Hudson, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026
That can be forgiven thanks to the film’s evocative imagery and the emotional resonance of its central themes, distressingly familiar to anyone who has ever lost themselves in a relationship.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
The running game is a mess, Carson Wentz is often running for his life, and the defense proved distressingly vulnerable to big plays in last weekend’s 28-22 loss to Philadelphia.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressingly
Adverb
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But for now, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer remains at a dismally low 13%, according to the American Cancer Society.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
12 May 2026
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The assets performed dismally in March but rebounded in April.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Adverb
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One was to pressure Iran to fully open the strait and free 1,600 commercial ships stuck in the Persian Gulf, which failed miserably.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
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Furyk getting another go at things after already failing miserably signals the PGA has no idea how to even begin trying to turn things around.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The topical, darkly funny, whip-smart series from Eric Kripke follows a band of vigilante misfits who fight to expose the all-powerful, corrupt conglomerate Vought International and its stable of villainous superheroes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Related Stories Jermaine Fowler, James Morosini, Pauline Chalamet, Edy Modica, Rob Yang and Brendan Hunt star in the darkly comedic sci-fi thriller.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adverb
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What at first appears to be a run-of-the-mill trauma drama about a family dealing with the eldest child’s anorexia nervosa gradually evolves into something odder and more original, even blackly comic, in Ungrateful Beings.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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War of the Worlds star Ice Cube now has another reason to stare forlornly at his computer.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
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One of the most affecting shots shows McCartney glancing forlornly at a seat beside him at the mixing desk.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
27 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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In Time Regained, the concluding volume of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, an older version of the narrator gloomily decides to attend a gathering at the Guermantes’ mansion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Then there is the steady stream of profiles on tech billionaires joylessly devoting themselves to maximizing their lifespan.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
For example, professors Morana Koludrovic and Franceska Delija at the University of Split in Croatia also make the point, more pessimistically, however, that the young can no longer learn from the old, not with all the changes in technology and media.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Feb. 2026
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Look pessimistically, and perhaps the inexperience is too much of a barrier.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distressingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressingly. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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