distressful

[ dih-stres-fuhl ]

/ dɪˈstrɛs fəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR distressful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

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

Origin of distressful

First recorded in 1585–95; distress + -ful

OTHER WORDS FROM distressful

dis·tress·ful·ly, adverbdis·tress·ful·ness, noun

Words nearby distressful

distress call, distressed, distressed area, distress flag, distress frequency, distressful, distress gun, distress merchandise, distress sale, distress signal, distributary

Example sentences from the Web for distressful

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

On that bleak morning, however, none of them foresaw a bright future, or indeed anything but a distressful present.
James B. Eads|Louis How