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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the distressing habit of constantly fiddling with her hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
don't let all the bad news distress you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressing
Adjective
-
Other times, Claude’s mental activity seems super disturbing and maybe even dangerous.—
Steven Levy,
Wired News,
28 Mar. 2025 -
Just as disturbing and bizarre, at least one juror originally didn’t want to convict Zeigler at all and didn’t vote to do so until after that same judge ordered the bailiff to give her a Valium.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The woman behind the 911 call that set off the tragic chain of events leading to Young Scooter’s death on his 39th birthday is now speaking out — contradicting her own initial account of the incident.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Underdogs don't come much more awkward than Carrie White (so memorably played by Sissy Spacek), the timid, tragic heroine of Brian De Palma's freaky Stephen King adaptation.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Inflation, perhaps stiffened by tariffs, and uncertainty over the future of the labor market have left consumers feeling uneasy.—
DeArbea Walker,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
But the Armageddon-level stakes of unrest in the region should make anyone uneasy about mishaps.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The sight of a middle aged woman wearing a purple-and-yellow No. 77 Los Angeles Lakers jersey walking down Sunset Blvd. is still unsettling.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Most of them went by quickly enough to evade conscious perception, but the overall effect was unsettling.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Here at home, extreme weather exacerbated by climate change is having many unfortunate impacts on our lives, from farmers losing crops to devastating floods, brush fires, and high heat days.—
Michael Leone,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Viet and Nam try to make sense of the tragic deaths of unfortunate people like Nam’s father, while their film namesake also attempts to do similar for people like those who have perished when attempting to find a new life.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As the end of the sale nears, the company running things becomes more and more anxious to sell as much of the merchandise as possible.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Highlight your expertise—maybe that's handling anxious children or those with special needs.—
Ajay Prasad,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Remi Bader's weight loss journey also included a troubling experience with the weight loss drug Ozempic.—
Athena Sobhan,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Democrats argue that the Signal scandal follows a troubling pattern of careless handling of national security information under President Trump.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Distressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share