distressing
adj.causing you to feel very worried, upset, or sad. You use this to describe news, images, or situations that are hard to deal with emotionally.
adj.causing significant emotional pain, anxiety, or sorrow. Often used to describe external stimuli like news or imagery; frequently follows linking verbs such as 'find' or 'be'.
“The news about the accident was very distressing.”
“The charity decided not to show the most distressing images during the daytime television broadcast.”
“Witnessing the rapid decline of the historic district was deeply distressing to the residents who had spent decades maintaining their ancestral homes.”
Often modified by degree adverbs like 'deeply', 'highly', or 'extremely'.
Learners often confuse the -ing adjective (the cause of the feeling) with the -ed adjective (the person experiencing the feeling).
“Tasmanians care deeply about our wildlife, and particularly our penguins, so we understand that reports like these may be distressing for the community.”
“Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.”