Adjective has 1 sense

• distressful(s = adj.all) distressing, disturbing, perturbing, troubling, worrisome, worrying - causing distress or worry or anxiety; "a disturbing amount of crime"; "a new and troubling thought"; "a revelation that was most perturbing"; "a worrying situation"; "a worrying time"; "distressing (or disturbing) news"; "in a particularly worrisome predicament"; "lived in heroic if something distressful isolation"

Derived form noun distressfulness₁