DISTRESSING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does distressing mean? 

• DISTRESSING (adjective)
  The adjective DISTRESSING has 2 senses:

1. causing distress or worry or anxiety

2. bad; unfortunate

  Familiarity information: DISTRESSING used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISTRESSING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Causing distress or worry or anxiety

Synonyms:

distressful; distressing; disturbing; perturbing; troubling; worrisome; worrying

Context example:

a worrying time

Similar:

heavy (marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bad; unfortunate

Synonyms:

deplorable; distressing; lamentable; pitiful; sad; sorry

Context example:

a sorry state of affairs

Similar:

bad (having undesirable or negative qualities)

 Context examples 

And the consequence was, that Fanny, strange as it was—strange, awkward, and distressing—found herself and Susan, within ten minutes, walking towards the High Street with Mr. Crawford.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Disorders in which the symptoms are distressing to the individual and recognized by him or her as being unacceptable.

(Neurosis, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Aberrant Motor Behavior: How emotionally distressing do you find this behavior?

(NPI - Aberrant Motor Behavior Distress, NCI Thesaurus)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Agitation/Aggression: How emotionally distressing do you find this behavior?

(NPI - Agitation/Aggression Distress, NCI Thesaurus)

But it was the cold that was most distressing.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

It is difficult indeed—it is distressing.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

To Anne herself it was most distressing to see Mr Elliot enter the room; and quite painful to have him approach and speak to her.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Then the scanty supply of food was distressing: with the keen appetites of growing children, we had scarcely sufficient to keep alive a delicate invalid.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Henry was alone in it; and his immediate hope of her having been undisturbed by the tempest, with an arch reference to the character of the building they inhabited, was rather distressing.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Anxiety: How emotionally distressing do you find this behavior?

(NPI - Anxiety Distress, NCI Thesaurus)