distressful

[ dih-stres-fuh l ]

/ dɪˈstrɛs fəl /

causing or involving distress: the distressful circumstances of poverty and sickness.

full of, feeling, or indicating distress: a distressful cry.

Nearby words

First recorded in 1585–95; distress + -ful

Related formsdis·tress·ful·ly, adverbdis·tress·ful·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

What, then, is the meaning of the distressful "little whiles" to the life of Christians?
A Christmas Gift|N. P. Gravengaard
By what distressful circumstances could a person of such handsome limbs and auspicious signs become deprived of manhood!
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 4|Kisari Mohan Ganguli
There is a story of an English tourist seeking for information about the distressful country, he being at Tallaght near Dublin.
The Reminiscences of an Irish Land Agent|S.M. Hussey
In Bonaventure a look of distressful self-justification quickly changed to one of anxious compassion.
Bonaventure|George Washington Cable