distress
noun
great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble.
had been distressing
-
past perfect progressiveof distress.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The police watchdog, which launched an investigation following complaints from the boy's family, said although the incident had been distressing for the boy, the officers' conduct was "reasonable".
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2024
Dr Barham-Brown, who shared the incident on social media, said she frequently travelled alone but the incident had been "distressing and terrifying" and made her "incredibly anxious".
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2023
The visit had been distressing but Henry was there when they left.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2022
This had been distressing enough, but now he’s worried about getting deported.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2018
It might be,—no doubt it was true,—that Mrs Hurtle's appearance in England had been distressing to him.
From The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
