35 entries under distressing topic. ×

12
painful(adjective, hard, rough, tender, pain)
11
grievous(adjective, bad, rough, sad, tender)
10
deplorable(adjective, bad, sad, pain, sorrow)
7
hurtful(adjective, hard, severe, tender, pain)
6
bitter(adjective, hard, rough, offensive, unpleasant)
5
distasteful(adjective, hard, severe, tender, offensive)
5
unpleasant(adjective, sad, tender, offensive, sorrow)
5
woeful(adjective, sad, pain, unpleasant, sorrow)
4
calamitous(adjective, unpleasant, awful, terrible, miserable)
4
dire(adjective, hard, severe, tender, unpleasant)
4
heartbreaking(adjective, unpleasant, awful, terrible, miserable)
3
cheerless(dull, pain, gloomy, miserable)
3
galling(adjective, hard, rough, offensive, unpleasant)
2
annoying(adjective, hard, rough, unpleasant, vicious)
2
disturbing(adjective, unpleasant, vicious, painful)
2
hard(adjective, severe, rough, tender, unpleasant)
2
poignant(adjective, unpleasant, vicious, painful)
2
unpalatable(adjective, offensive, unpleasant, disgusting, vicious)
2
vexatious(adjective, hard, severe, rough, tender)
1
bad(adjective, unpleasant, terrible, cruel, miserable)
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APASmart Define. (2015). afflictive thesaurus. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "afflictive thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 24, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, afflictive thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "afflictive thesaurus" 10 April 2015. Web. 24 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms>