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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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.
—
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 addition of such real-life clips—including that of the anchor Jim McKay—gives September 5 a documentary-like feel, cleverly immersing viewers into the uneasy headspace of those inside the studio.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2025
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Congress passed the law that would force a sale in April with bipartisan support as lawmakers from both parties have been uneasy over the app’s ties to China.—
Nik Popli,
TIME,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Olivia Culpo, the wife of San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey, has spoken out about the tragic wildfires raging throughout the Los Angeles area that have forced thousands to evacuate their homes.—
Paulina Dedaj,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
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This joins a growing list of awards season events affected by the tragic fires across Los Angeles.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
While the Eagles triumphed 22-10, advancing to the NFC Divisional Round, the victory was overshadowed by the disturbing exchange in the stands.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
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The disturbing new figures are inching close to the same number of people — 1.5 million— who were internally displaced by Haiti’s cataclysmic earthquake, which struck 15 years ago on Jan. 12, 2010.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Millions of businesses have been targeted, revealing the unfortunate truth: cybercrime has become a daily occurrence among various enterprises.—
William Jones,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
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Far too often over the previous three seasons, unfortunate and often unlucky things happened when Jackson threw the ball in Bateman’s direction.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The week’s biggest stories (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) A flare-up of the Palisades fire forced more evacuations as L.A. reels from staggering losses Los Angeles faced another tense night as the Palisades fire moved northeast, prompting new mandatory evacuations.—
Hunter Clauss,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
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The Palestinian Authority is engaged in a tense standoff with a coalition of militants based in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.—
Taylor Luck,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And to think that the ground is ever-changing, well, that's a bit unsettling.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2025
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Yes, some of the gross body-horror stuff is very unsettling, but that’s not enough to make this a good movie.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Beyond those under mandatory evacuation, many more, including many families and anxious pet owners, have left because of poor air quality or general wariness of the county’s precarious state.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
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Interview Crush on the Cross: An Interview with Anthony Oliveira Jason Kirk The author of Dayspring discusses queerness, Christianity, and the anxious sense that history is over.—
Max Ufberg,
hazlitt.net,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But that didn’t stop Greenbaum from being a little nervous about screening the film for Harper and Will.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
12 Jan. 2025
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During this time, his nervous pacing was broken by fits of crying and sobbing.—
Al Wolter,
Outdoor Life,
10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near distressful
Cite this Entry
“Distressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressful. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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