10
hurting(verb, adjective, painful, sickness, ache)
10
miserable(adjective, mean, poor, low, sad)
10
pathetic(adjective, mean, poor, low, sad)
10
piercing(adjective, painful, sickness, ache, anguishes)
10
poignant(adjective, strong, moving, sad, unhappy)
10
sharp(adjective, severe, intense, painful, sickness)
10
tragic(adjective, bad, awful, terrible, wretched)
10
unfortunate(adjective, sad, unhappy, awful, terrible)
10
wretched(adjective, mean, low, sad, miserable)
9
calamitous(adjective, severe, sad, unhappy, unpleasant)
9
racking(verb, adjective, strong, violent, shocking)
9
regrettable(adjective, wrong, miserable, inadequate, wretched)
9
saddening(adjective, sickness, ache, anguishes)
8
afflictive(adjective, rough, tender, pain, unpleasant)
8
bothersome(adjective, severe, difficult, offensive, unpleasant)
8
dismal(adjective, mean, poor, low, pain)
8
doleful(adjective, sad, miserable, wretched, sorrowful)
8
dreary(adjective, sad, pain, unhappy, sorrow)
8
extreme(adjective, painful, sickness, ache, anguishes)
8
heavy(adjective, tough, severe, rough, difficult)
11 years ago|22k views|share |citing 
APASmart Define. (2015). distressing thesaurus. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "distressing thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 22, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, distressing thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "distressing thesaurus" 3 August 2015. Web. 22 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms>