1
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
distressing signs that another war might be imminent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the distressing death of our favorite actor
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3
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the distressing habit of constantly fiddling with her hair
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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressing
Adjective
-
The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices is disturbing.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025 -
These findings should be deeply disturbing to Western policymakers, for at least two reasons.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The tragic crash led to the deaths of three soldiers who were aboard the helicopter, as well as all 60 passengers and four crew members on the commercial flight.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Because Indy has no knowledge of what is happening in the house, nor any awareness of what a haunted house even is in the first place, his reactions are scarier and more tragic than those of a human.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The film follows Ne Zha, a demon child raised by humans, who must embark on a perilous quest to obtain an elixir to restore the body of his uneasy ally, the dragon prince Ao Bing.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2025
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Based on the Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture Of The Gods), the story follows a demon child raised by humans, who forms an uneasy alliance with the dragon prince, Ao Bing, in an epic battle to protect their clans.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As Jeffrey’s amateur investigation spirals deeper into danger, he’s forced to confront the unsettling coexistence of idyllic suburban life and brutal violence lurking beneath the surface.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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The activist, who boasts 1,100,000 followers on Instagram, wasted no time firing back at the unsettling allegations.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
On Monday evening, within hours of learning of the directive, some state workers called the order stupid and unfortunate.—
William Melhado,
Sacramento Bee,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Christie suffered from acute seasickness, unfortunate considering her trips to each continent were by ship.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While many companies rapidly integrate AI, this data reveals a growing disconnect: employees are increasingly anxious about its impact.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
That is Europe’s most fundamental demand of Trump; the continent is intensely anxious about a pro-Moscow deal being forced on Zelensky.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This is a clever way to offer a dual-screen experience without the flaws inherent to current dual-screen laptops, including distracting hinges and designs with questionable durability.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
7 Jan. 2025
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In a car, this could be used to hide distracting entertainment displays from the driver while passengers are able to see information such as music playlists or calendar alerts, for example.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s turn toward promoting IVF raises troubling ethical questions for the ongoing defense of innocent life.—
John Gerardi,
National Review,
2 Mar. 2025
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Nearly two decades later, troubling problems persist at the VA.—
Megan Schrader,
The Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Distressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressing. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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