Causing distress or worry or anxiety. Synonyms: distressful, distressing, disturbing, troubling, worrisome, worrying. "Lived in heroic if something distressful isolation" , "A disturbing amount of crime" , "A revelation that was most perturbing" , "A new and troubling thought" , "In a particularly worrisome predicament" , "A worrying situation" , "A worrying time"