63 entries under harsh topic. ×

31
grievous(adjective, mean, tough, severe, rough)
24
painful(adjective, moving, tough, severe, rough)
22
severe(adjective, tough, difficult, tender)
11
bitter(adjective, hard, moving, tough, rough)
11
difficult(adjective, severe, rough, tender)
10
hard(adjective, rough, difficult, tender)
8
heavy(adjective, tough, severe, rough, difficult)
8
unpleasant(adjective, tough, severe, tender)
7
cruel(adjective, sad, unhappy, unpleasant)
6
arduous(adjective, difficult, tender, cruel)
5
bleak(adjective, tough, severe, obscure)
5
serious(adjective, tough, severe, rough, difficult)
4
disagreeable(adjective, hard, tough, severe, rough)
4
intolerable(adjective, tough, severe, awful)
4
tough(adjective, severe, rough, nasty)
3
galling(adjective, hard, severe, rough)
2
demanding(adjective, tough, severe, rough, difficult)
2
exhausting(adjective, tough, severe, rough, difficult)
2
grim(adjective, bad, tough, severe, sad)
2
perverse(adjective, tough, severe, wicked)
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APASmart Define. (2015). distressing thesaurus. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "distressing thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 23, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, distressing thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "distressing thesaurus" 3 August 2015. Web. 23 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms>