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
A court heard the incident had been distressing for the victim and her family who were at home at the time.
From BBC ● May 24, 2023
Laura said that some pupils were excluded but only for a few days, and the effect they had seen on their daughter had been distressing.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2022
This had been distressing enough, but now he’s worried about getting deported.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2018
If his experiences of the previous evening had been distressing, the breakfast which was set before him was positively heart-rending.
From The Burglar's Fate And The Detectives by Allan Pinkerton
