Synonyms for upsetting
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Distressing — causing upset; distressing, unsettling, hurtful
distressing, saddening, tragic, regrettable, deplorable, mournful, depressing, sorrowful, grievous, lamentable, wretched, woeful, rueful, woebegone
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Causing upset; distressing, unsettling, hurtful.
He found taking his cat to the vet to be put down very upsetting.
Example sentences
- tragic Oleg was alone in a big house with a tragic story.
- distressing Yanni went through a distressing event.
- regrettable It is regrettable that you did not start earlier.
- saddening The indifference of Tom's obituary was saddening.
- disconcerting These are very disconcerting questions to ponder.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| upsetting | rising | |
| tragic | steady | |
| distressing | steady | |
| regrettable | falling | |
| saddening | falling | |
| disconcerting | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- moving2, tragic2, woeful2, rueful2
- 8 letters
- wretched2, grievous2, mournful2
- 9 letters
- sorrowful3, saddening3, woebegone3
- 10 letters
- depressing3, deplorable4, lamentable4
- 11 letters
- distressing3, regrettable4
- 12 letters
- discomfiting
- 13 letters
- disconcerting4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (moving2 = 2 syllables).