The distressing news of the archaeological site's looting prompted an international effort to recover the stolen artifacts.
考古遗址遭劫掠的令人痛苦的消息促使国际社会努力追回被盗的文物。
Which choice best defines “distressing”?
A — Causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain. “distressing” means causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
Which word means “causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain”?
D — distressing. “distressing” means causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
distressing — causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain. In Chinese: 令人痛苦的.
distressing is pronounced /dɪˈstrɛsɪŋ/.
The distressing news of the archaeological site's looting prompted an international effort to recover the stolen artifacts. (考古遗址遭劫掠的令人痛苦的消息促使国际社会努力追回被盗的文物。)
painful, upsetting, harrowing — all close in meaning to distressing (causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain).
comforting, reassuring — each the opposite of distressing (causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain).
Yes. distressing is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.