Causing or characterized by distress; full of worry, pain, or suffering.
From 'distress' + '-ful' (Old English 'full,' meaning full of or characterized by). This is a standard English adjective formation that emphasizes that something is full of or marked by distress.
While 'distressing' is far more common today, 'distressful' is a reminder that '-full' was once a productive suffix in English for making adjectives—we still use it in words like 'wonderful' and 'meaningful,' but it's less common than '-ing'.
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