45 entries under upsetting topic. ×

12
painful(adjective, hard, rough, tender, pain)
11
grievous(adjective, bad, rough, sad, tender)
10
deplorable(adjective, bad, sad, pain, sorrow)
10
distressing(adjective, rough, tender, pain, unpleasant)
7
hurtful(adjective, hard, severe, tender, pain)
6
bitter(adjective, hard, rough, offensive, unpleasant)
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)
4
hurting(tender, cruel, raw, unkind, burning)
3
cheerless(dull, pain, gloomy, miserable, distressing)
3
nagging(adjective, pain, painful, burning)
2
dreadful(adjective, tender, awful, terrible, raw)
2
poignant(adjective, unpleasant, vicious, painful, distressing)
1
bad(adjective, unpleasant, terrible, cruel, miserable)
1
difficult(tender, raw, burning, sore)
1
heart-rending(miserable, wretched, distressing, anguished)
1
ominous(adjective, awful, heavy, terrible, cruel)
0
cutting(cruel, unkind)
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APASmart Define. (2015). afflictive thesaurus. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "afflictive thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 23, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, afflictive thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "afflictive thesaurus" 10 April 2015. Web. 23 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/afflictive/thesaurus/synonyms>