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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



22 words match “DISTRESSING”

DISTRESSING adv. 2 definitions
In a distressing manner.
AFFLICTING a.
Grievously painful; distressing; afflictive; as, an afflicting event. -- Af*flict"ing*ly, adv.
AFFLICTIVE a.
Giving pain; causing continued or repeated pain or grief; distressing. "Jove's afflictive hand." Pope. Spreads slow disease, and darts afflictive pain. Prior.
ANXIETY n.
A state of restlessness and agitation, often with general indisposition and a distressing sense of oppression at the epigastrium. Dunglison.
BITTER a.
Mournful; sad; distressing; painful; pitiable. The Egyptians . . . made their lives bitter with hard bondage. Ex. i. 14. Bitter apple, Bitter cucumber, Bitter gourd. (Bot.) See Colocynth. -- Bitter cress (Bot.), a plant of the genus Cardamine, esp. C. amara. -- Bitter earth (Min.), tale earth; calcined magnesia. --…
CARKING a.
Distressing; worrying; perplexing; corroding; as, carking cares.
CREEP n.
A distressing sensation, or sound, like that occasioned by the creeping of insects. A creep of undefinable horror. Blackwood's Mag. Out of the stillness, with gathering creep, Like rising wind in leaves. Lowell.
HARD a.
ar or endure; not easy to put up with or consent to; hence, severe; rigorous; oppressive; distressing; unjust; grasping; as, a hard lot; hard times; hard fare; a hard winter; hard conditions or terms. I never could drive a hard bargain. Burke.
HEARTRENDING a.
Causing intense grief; overpowering with anguish; very distressing.
HIDEOUS a.
Distressing or offensive to the ear; exciting terror or dismay; as, a hideous noise. "Hideous cries." Shak.
IMBITTER v.
To make bitter; hence, to make distressing or more distressing; to make sad, morose, sour, or malignant. Is there anything that more imbitters the enjoyment of this life than shame South. Imbittered against each other by former contests. Bancroft.
MATTER n.
Inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble. And this is the matter why interpreters upon that passage in Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet took a harlot to wife. Milton.
NEEDFUL a.
Full of need; in need or want; needy; distressing. [Archaic] Chaucer. The needful time of trouble. Bk. of Com. Prayer.
PAINFUL a.
pain; causing uneasiness or distress, either physical or mental; afflictive; disquieting; distressing Addison.
PRESENTIMENT n.
apprehension; especially, an antecedent impression or conviction of something unpleasant, distressing, or calamitous, about to happen; anticipation of evil; foreboding.
RECOIL v.
To draw back, as from anything repugnant, distressing, alarming, or the like; to shrink. Shak.
SEVERE a.
Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as, severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold.
SEVERITY n.
The quality or power of distressing or paining; extreme degree; extremity; intensity; inclemency; as, the severity of pain or anguish; the severity of cold or heat; the severity of the winter.
SHARP a.
Very trying to the feelings; pierching; keen; severe; painful; distressing; as, sharp pain, weather; a sharp and frosty air. Sharp misery had worn him to the bones. Shak. The morning sharp and clear. Cowper. In sharpest perils faithful proved. Keble.
SORE a.
Severe; afflictive; distressing; as, a sore disease; sore evil or calamity. Shak.
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