98 entries under severe topic. ×

1
backbreaking(adjective, tough, rough, difficult)
1
consequential(hard, offensive, upsetting, disturbing)
1
discommoding(hard, offensive, awkward, uneasy)
1
discomposing(hard, offensive, upsetting, disturbing)
1
distasteful(adjective, hard, tender, offensive)
1
dour(adjective, tough, harsh, cruel)
1
exacting(adjective, tough, rough, difficult)
1
fatiguing(adjective, tough, rough, difficult)
1
foreboding(hard, offensive, hopeless, upsetting)
1
grinding(adjective, tough, rough, difficult)
1
inclement(adjective, tough, harsh, unpleasant)
1
inconvenient(hard, offensive, awkward, uneasy)
1
intemperate(adjective, tough, harsh, unpleasant)
1
laborious(adjective, hard, rough, difficult)
1
overpowering(adjective, strong, harsh, violent)
1
perplexing(hard, offensive, awkward, uneasy)
1
pessimistic(hard, offensive, upsetting, disturbing)
1
provoking(adjective, hard, offensive, unpleasant)
1
rigorous(adjective, tough, rough, difficult)
1
rugged(adjective, tough, rough, difficult)
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APASmart Define. (2015). distressing thesaurus. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "distressing thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 25, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, distressing thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "distressing thesaurus" 3 August 2015. Web. 25 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/distressing/thesaurus/synonyms>