98 entries under severe topic. ×

31
grievous(adjective, mean, tough, rough)
24
painful(adjective, moving, tough, rough)
24
upsetting(adjective, hard, moving, happy)
20
disturbing(adjective, hard, moving, happy)
16
worrisome(adjective, hard, happy, pain)
16
worrying(adjective, hard, offensive, uncertain)
15
awful(adjective, bad, sad, tender)
15
terrible(adjective, difficult, sad, tender)
15
troublesome(adjective, rough, happy, difficult)
13
hurtful(adjective, tender, unpleasant, awful)
12
acute(adjective, strong, tender, intense)
12
dire(adjective, tender, unpleasant, awful)
11
difficult(adjective, rough, harsh, tender)
11
troubling(verb, adjective, hard, offensive)
10
bad(adjective, poor, sad, offensive)
10
disquieting(adjective, hard, happy, pain)
10
sharp(adjective, intense, painful, sickness)
9
calamitous(adjective, sad, unhappy, unpleasant)
8
bothersome(adjective, difficult, offensive, unpleasant)
8
heavy(adjective, tough, rough, difficult)
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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>