distress
noun
great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble.
were distressing
-
past progressiveof distress.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Sadie added the lack of support was also detrimental to clients' recovery as messy assessments were distressing.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2023
Many of the accusations “might not reach the threshold for criminality,” but were distressing nevertheless, Jess Phillips, a lawmaker from the opposition Labour Party, told the BBC this week.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2021
However, not all the scenes at Target were distressing.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 1, 2020
Sinn Féin MLA Jennifer McCann said there were "distressing scenes" as his family members arrived at the police cordon on Thursday night.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2016
Sleep was coy and hard to be won; dreams were distressing and baleful.
From Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
