4
injurious(adjective, awful, terrible, cruel, unkind)
4
intolerable(adjective, tough, severe, harsh, awful)
4
irritated(adjective, hurt, tender, painful, angry)
4
loathsome(adjective, wicked, shocking, dreadful, upsetting)
4
lugubrious(adjective, sad, unhappy, miserable, painful)
4
nagging(adjective, painful, burning, upsetting, irritating)
4
nerve-racking
4
ominous(adjective, hard, severe, offensive, awful)
4
paining(verb, paining)
4
plaintive(adjective, sad, unhappy, sorrow, suffer)
4
pungent
4
rueful(adjective, mean, low, sad, pain)
4
ruthful(adjective, sad, unhappy, sorrow, suffer)
4
sensitive(adjective, hurt, tender, painful, angry)
4
stabbing(adjective, strong, violent)
4
tedious(adjective, sickness, ache, anguishes)
4
tough(adjective, severe, rough, nasty, harsh)
4
troublous(adjective, happy, pain, disturbing)
4
unlucky
4
unsettling(adjective, hard, severe, happy, pain)
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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>