1
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
distressing signs that another war might be imminent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressing
Adjective
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While no human-affecting viruses have been revived yet, the fact that ancient microbes can persist in a viable state raises a disturbing possibility: what else is hidden in the deep freeze, waiting to wake up?—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025 -
The possibility of losing Miami Beach's only art house cinema is disturbing to Tabsch, a filmmaker whose 2018 documentary The Last Resort, was about Miami Beach's Jewish community in the 1970s.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The tragic consequence is that today Putinism is advancing across Europe and the United States.—
Michael McFaul,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
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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
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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
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Given that feeling competent in one’s work is one of the three basic psychological human needs, this may be unsettling for some.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
The thought of spending months on end in the sweltering heat is very unsettling for me.—
Sherry Kuehl,
Kansas City Star,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With a 6-5 record in 11 games post-All Star Weekend (including 2-3 in their last five), Tom Thibodeau's Knicks have been in a bit of a rut that began before Brunson's unfortunate injury.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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Thankfully on one unfortunate visit Puligny had a town cooperative with plenty of wine to drink and a phone number for a man with a van to return us and our bicycles to our hotel in Beaune.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Jacob Tremblay plays Winston's anxious stepson Wade.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
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In a time when many workers are anxious about what AI means for their roles, leaders who speak to both the potential and the limits of AI are earning deeper trust and keeping their teams engaged.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 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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The combination of a potential trade war and rising unemployment is particularly troubling news for consumer and business spending and has raised fears of a recession.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
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But some students found the video troubling, said Isabelle Butera, a senior at Northwestern involved with the organization Jewish Voices for Peace.—
Nell Salzman,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Distressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressing. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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