distressful

[ dih-stres-fuhl ]
See synonyms for: distressfuldistressfully on Thesaurus.com

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

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

Origin of distressful

1
First recorded in 1585–95; distress + -ful

Other words from distressful

  • dis·tress·ful·ly, adverb
  • dis·tress·ful·ness, noun

Words Nearby distressful

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use distressful in a sentence

  • Hardly had he uttered these distressful exclamations when a prolonged note of melody caught his ear.

  • At the edge of a small field lying close to the road was a negro's cabin, and from that quarter came the dog's distressful outcry.

    An Arkansas Planter | Opie Percival Read
  • Half-way down the walk he paused, picked up a snail that had crawled out upon the distressful sand.

    Cursed | George Allan England
  • A cold dampness settled upon his forehead, his limbs trembled violently, and distressful sighs issued from his heaving breast.

    Wild Western Scenes | John Beauchamp Jones
  • Their distressful needs are in danger of being left aside in the pressure of other worthy appeals for aid.