Distressing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective

Meaning & Definition of Distressing

Distressing (verb)

  1. to subject to great strain or difficulties
  2. to force or overcome by inflicting pain
  3. to cause to worry or be troubled, upset

Distressing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing worry or anxiety

    "distressing signs that another war might be imminent"

    similar: discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, nagging, nasty, perturbing, troublesome, troubling, troublous, unsettling, upsetting, worrisome
    related: daunting, demoralizing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting, chilling, frightening, scary, harassing, persecutive, persecutory, alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, shocking, terrible, terrifying
    opposite: reassuring
    near: calming, quieting, settling, soothing, comforting, consoling, dreamy, inviting, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, relaxing, sedative, tranquilizing

  2. of a kind to cause great distress

    "the distressing death of our favorite actor"

    similar: deplorable, distressful, grievous, heartbreaking, heartrending, lamentable, regrettable, tragic, unfortunate, unlucky, woeful
    related: troublesome, vexatious, affecting, doleful, moving, piteous, poignant, ruthful, touching, awful, dire, dreadful, fearful, severe, terrible, alarming, disturbing, perturbing, traumatic, unsettling, crushing, excruciating, harrowing, horrible, horrifying, intolerable, overwhelming, shocking, sickening, unbearable, miserable, pitiful, sad, wretched, calamitous, disastrous, painful, raging, sharp
    near: gratifying, pleasing, rewarding, satisfying, comforting, encouraging, heartening, cheering, heartwarming, inspiring, fortunate, happy, lucky

  3. marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings

    "the distressing habit of constantly fiddling with her hair"

    similar: agitating, anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, disturbing, fraught, hairy, nail-biting, nerve-racking, nervous, restless, tense, uneasy, unnerving, unsettling, worrisome
    related: bothersome, troublesome, foreboding, misgiving, discouraging, disheartening, strained, restive, unrestful, awkward, embarrassing
    opposite: calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil
    near: restful, pacific

Distressing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "don't let all the bad news distress you"

    similar: agitating, ailing, alarming, bothering, concerning, derailing, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distempering, distracting, disturbing, exercising, flurrying, frazzling, freaking (out), fussing, hagriding, perturbing, undoing, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, weirding out, worrying
    related: aggravating, angering, annoying, bugging, chafing, chivying, exasperating, fretting, galling, getting, grating, harassing, harrying, irking, irritating, nettling, peeving, pestering, piquing, putting off, putting out, riling, vexing, bedeviling, haunting, plaguing, abashing, confounding, confusing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discountenancing, embarrassing, fazing, flustering, jarring, mortifying, nonplussing, rattling, shaking up, daunting, demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, unnerving
    opposite: calming, composing, quieting, settling, soothing, tranquilizing
    near: allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, pacifying, placating, propitiating

Related Entry: Distress (verb)

Distress is a different word from Distressing. The synonyms below are for distress, not for distressing.

  1. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "don't let all the bad news distress you"

    similar: agitate, ail, alarm, bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry
    related: aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy, exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex, bedevil, haunt, plague, abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up, daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve
    opposite: calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize
    near: allay, alleviate, assuage, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Distressing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Distressing:

discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, nagging, nasty, perturbing, troublesome, troubling, troublous, unsettling, upsetting, worrisome, deplorable, distressful, grievous, heartbreaking, heartrending, lamentable, regrettable, tragic, unfortunate, unlucky, woeful, agitating, anxious, creepy, fraught, hairy, nail-biting, nerve-racking, nervous, restless, tense, uneasy, unnerving, ailing, alarming, bothering, concerning

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Distressing

Words with the opposite meaning of Distressing:

reassuring, calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil, composing, settling, soothing, tranquilizing

Related Words for Distressing

daunting, demoralizing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, chilling, frightening, scary, harassing, persecutive, persecutory, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, shocking, terrible

Near Antonyms of Distressing

comforting, consoling, dreamy, inviting, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, relaxing, sedative, gratifying, pleasing, rewarding, satisfying, encouraging, heartening, cheering, heartwarming, inspiring, fortunate, happy, lucky, restful, pacific, allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, placating

Word Forms of Distressing

Inflections: distressed, distresses

Derived words: distressingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Distressing

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Distressing

What does "Distressing" mean?

"Distressing" means to subject to great strain or difficulties. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to subject to great strain or difficulties. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Distressing"?

Other words for "Distressing" include discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, nagging, nasty, perturbing and troublesome. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Distressing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Distressing"?

There are 156 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Distressing". Common alternatives include discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, nagging, nasty, perturbing, troublesome, troubling and troublous.

What is the opposite of "Distressing"?

Antonyms of "Distressing" include reassuring, calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting and tranquil. Near antonyms include comforting, consoling, dreamy and inviting.

How do you use "Distressing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Distressing" in a sentence: "distressing signs that another war might be imminent"; "the distressing death of our favorite actor"; "the distressing habit of constantly fiddling with her hair".

Is "Distressing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Distressing" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

What is the origin of the word "Distressing"?

First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Distressing" meaning "causing worry or anxiety"?

When "Distressing" (adjective) means causing worry or anxiety, synonyms include discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, nagging and nasty. Opposites in this sense include reassuring.