| English Dictionary |
DISTRESSFUL
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
Dictionary entry overview: What does distressful mean?
• DISTRESSFUL (adjective)
The adjective DISTRESSFUL has 1 sense:
1. causing distress or worry or anxiety
Familiarity information: DISTRESSFUL used as an adjective is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Causing distress or worry or anxiety
Synonyms:
distressful; distressing; disturbing; perturbing; troubling; worrisome; worrying
Context example:
a worrying time
Similar:
heavy (marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness)
Derivation:
distressfulness (the quality of arousing fear or distress)
Context examples
For an instant, a distressful shadow crossed her face; but, even in the start it gave me, it was gone; and she was playing on, and looking at me with her own calm smile.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
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