distressing — causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain; upsetting
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain; upsetting
Pronunciation (IPA): /dɪˈstresɪŋ/
Example Sentences
- It's distressing to see my favorite pizza place close down forever.
- The distressing sound of my alarm clock ruins my dreams every morning.
- The documentary showed distressing images of environmental destruction.
distressing
ADJECTIVE[/dɪˈstresɪŋ/]
causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain; upsetting
The distressing news of the shipwreck reached the harbor at dawn.
When work becomes distressing and stressing, kindness arrives as a blessing.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'destresse' meaning to cause hardship or suffering, derived from Latin 'districtus' (past participle of distringere, meaning to stretch apart or trouble). The word entered English in the 14th century with the sense of causing difficulty or pain.
Breakdown
dis- (apart, reversal) + stress (pressure, strain) + -ing (present participle) = distressing
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“It's distressing to see my favorite pizza place close down forever.”
“The distressing sound of my alarm clock ruins my dreams every morning.”
“The documentary showed distressing images of environmental destruction.”
“Finding out that my diet coach eats ice cream every night was quite distressing.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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