DISTRESSFUL Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

distressful

adjective

di-ˈstres-fəl

Definition of distressful

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

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

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 distressful Carrying debt can be incredibly distressful, especially with sky-high prices for food, gas and housing. — Mallika Mitra, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressful

Adjective

Kurt's key takeaways Hearing AI on a 911 call would make a lot of people uneasy.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Falwell correctly sensed vulnerability in the uneasy alliance between rationalism and Christianity that had prevailed since the eighteenth-century Enlightenment.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Adjective

That's the common denominator, to be quite honest, between the success stories and the tragic stories.

— Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Even Treadwell, who spend thirteen summers in Alaska compiling some 100 hours of bear footage, wasn’t even remotely prepared for his encounters, evidenced by his tragic death at the hands of one of his beloved grizzlies.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of tragic

Adjective

Last awards season, the gossip around town, salacious and disturbing in equal measure, was that hotel suites all over Hollywood were populated by tailors taking in gowns coming straight off the runway.

— Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
The disturbing situation came to light after a tree fell on the home during a storm.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Adjective

There are no Cubs players involved in the TikTok series, the Cubs told me, which is unfortunate since Crow-Armstrong has acting in his DNA — his mother and father are both actors — and probably would be at least as good as Damon.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Every mosquito has a type Count me among the unfortunate souls who are mosquito magnets; something about my body chemistry is irresistible to those tiny bloodsucking fiends.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of unfortunate

Adjective

After hours of argument that at times grew tense, a hearing Thursday ended without a ruling from Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis, and the Tates were returned to jail.

— Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
In Danbury, protesters have had tense confrontations with ICE officers, who responded at least once with pepper spray, according to activists.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of tense

Adjective

That year, the head trainer of the Commanders was found to have been illegally distributing oxycodone to players — an unsettling reminder of the NFL's difficult history with painkillers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
The quirky robot is a notable departure from the more unsettling machines that typically make headlines today.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsettling

Adjective

Nvidia's forecast comes at a time when investors remain nervous about capital expenditures from large tech companies, the circular nature of financing deals and the return from AI investments.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Why bats can pose a rabies risk Rabies spreads through the saliva or nervous tissue of an infected mammal, usually through a bite.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of nervous

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“Distressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressful. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of distressful

adjective

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