1
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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2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the distressful living conditions in the refugee camp
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Recent Examples of distressful
And yet behind the distressful scene, a young man continues to butcher an animal.
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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
Justice Harry Blackmun, who wrote for the Roe-affirming majority in 1973, included a brief list of the potential detriments of forcing women to carry pregnancies to term: Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 6 July 2022
The definition of trauma is anything distressful.
—Julia M. Chan, CNN, 15 Mar. 2022
But the results, Mr. Chancellor observes, were not as distressful for the rich as a medieval canonist might have hoped.
—Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
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
Justice Harry Blackmun, who wrote for the Roe-affirming majority in 1973, included a brief list of the potential detriments of forcing women to carry pregnancies to term: Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 6 July 2022
The definition of trauma is anything distressful.
—Julia M. Chan, CNN, 15 Mar. 2022
But the results, Mr. Chancellor observes, were not as distressful for the rich as a medieval canonist might have hoped.
—Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressful
Adjective
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The idea of semitrucks without drivers makes Kentucky Republican state Sen. Greg Elkins uneasy.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Feeling uneasy or insecure in such situations is completely natural—and a valid reaction, at that.Mark Travers, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Matthew Gaudreau's widow Madeline paid tribute to her late husband and brother-in-law on the first Thanksgiving since their tragic deaths.Natasha Dye, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
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The rivalry resumed last year after UVA cancelled its final two games of the 2022 season due to the tragic death of three players.Tom Layberger, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Here are two reasons behind these often disturbing experiences, according to research.Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
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In court, attorneys for the state also described a disturbing scene.Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Lucky 13 has proved unfortunate for those involved in making the ABC game show.Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
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Equally unfortunate is the film’s narrative clumsiness, with a story that doesn’t earn its exhausting runtime.Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Set on a covered terrace, the Blue Hole Pool (among the largest hydrotherapy pools in the Maldives) has a series of whirlpool jets that will make quick work of a sore back and tense shoulders.Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
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Pauses that should be tense comedic moments instead feel like accidental hiccups.Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Today, however, the movie feels more like an uncomfortably timely cautionary tale with unsettling echoes of current events.Joe Leydon, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
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In public, Uzi simply moves differently, with an insistent sway that can feel both thrilling and unsettling.Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Boutin has been in remission from thyroid cancer since August, but just had a related surgery last week and the couple was anxious about Boutin inhaling any smoke.CNN.com, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Lines at downtown precincts were busy and people who have been inundated with out-of-town organizers and ads for months could be heard speculating about the results on their cellphones, anxious to see a conclusion to the contest.Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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There’s really nothing to be nervous about, just the optics of everything.Peter A. Berry, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
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The tech industry has been nervous about what Trump, who now has his own social network in the form of Truth Social, might do about Section 230 the second time around.David Meyer, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near distressful
Cite this Entry
“Distressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressful. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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