- present participle of distress.
distressing
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.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the news of the murder inquiry was "really shocking" and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the circumstances "extremely distressing".
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
In a post on X, she said the circumstances of Ann Widdecombe's death are "extremely distressing", adding that her "thoughts are with Ann's family and loved ones".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Oringel, who is 85 and lives in town, finds the long vacancy distressing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The family who own a zoo where a three-year-old boy was seriously injured after ending up in a crocodile enclosure said it was "one of the most distressing incidents in our history".
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
This was a distressing thing to admit, given how hard I’d worked and how in debt I was.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Vocabulary lists containing distressing
