as in drearily
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Recent Examples of distressingly
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
Advertisement Opioid addiction is distressingly common in nearly every contact and combat sport, but Kerr was isolated from the endemic abuse of painkillers in the industry.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Naturally, the theft of the ghost shirt by the stooges in the employ of Roy Lee is accompanied by many deceased bodies — the first of the many bloodbaths in Americana, which has a distressingly expedient approach to on-screen carnage.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Second, the book helps dispel conspiracy theories, now distressingly common among Iranians, that propose that the shah’s overthrow was secretly planned and carefully orchestrated by President Jimmy Carter.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
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
Advertisement Opioid addiction is distressingly common in nearly every contact and combat sport, but Kerr was isolated from the endemic abuse of painkillers in the industry.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Naturally, the theft of the ghost shirt by the stooges in the employ of Roy Lee is accompanied by many deceased bodies — the first of the many bloodbaths in Americana, which has a distressingly expedient approach to on-screen carnage.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Second, the book helps dispel conspiracy theories, now distressingly common among Iranians, that propose that the shah’s overthrow was secretly planned and carefully orchestrated by President Jimmy Carter.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressingly
Adverb
-
In this regard, ICE and the federal government have failed dismally.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Brown then tried to ride the anti-tax, spending-limit movement into the White House two years later — but failed miserably.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
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But the presence of these compounds in grapes failed miserably as a diagnostic for smoke taint.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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The darkly comic horror-thriller stars McAdams and Dylan O’Brien as coworkers stranded on a desert island, and sports a glowing 93 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
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
-
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
-
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
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Look pessimistically, and perhaps the inexperience is too much of a barrier.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Instead, Republican staffers sullenly reported to messaging meetings to talk about immigration.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distressingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressingly. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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