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"Upsetting" is a form of "upsetting", an adjective which is often translated as "triste". "Distress" is a noun which is often translated as "la angustia". Learn more about the difference between "upsetting" and "distress" below.
upsetting(
uhp
-
seh
-
dihng
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g. the big dog).
1. (distressing)
a. triste
Magda received the upsetting news today that her mother died of a heart attack.Magda recibió hoy la triste noticia de que su mamá falleció de un infarto.
b. terrible
Her husband's past must have been a very upsetting discovery for her.El pasado de su marido debe de haber sido un descubrimiento terrible para ella.
c. sobrecogedor
The images of the starving children in the war zone are tremendously upsetting.Las imágenes de los niños hambrientos en la zona bélica son enormemente sobrecogedoras.
d. horrible
Noticing that the apple I was eating was full of worms was an upsetting experience.Darme cuenta de que la manzana que comía estaba repleta de gusanos fue una experiencia horrible.
e. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I found it very upsetting that my father wouldn't come to my wedding.Me disgustó mucho que mi padre no quisiera venir a mi boda.
It was very upsetting for my children to move from one city to another.A mis hijos les afectó mucho mudarse de una ciudad a otra.
2. (annoying)
a. molesto
I love the morning ritual of making coffee. Waking up to no water was very upsetting for me.Me encanta el ritual mañanero de preparar el café. Despertarme sin agua me resultó muy molesto.
3. (insulting)
a. ofensivo
I found his comment about colonialism to be deeply upsetting.Su comentario sobre el colonialismo me pareció sumamente ofensivo.
distress(
dih
-
strehs
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).
1. (sorrow or pain)
a. la angustia (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Rising rents are a cause of significant distress for city dwellers.Una causa importante de angustia entre los habitantes de una ciudad es el alza del precio de los alquileres.
b. la aflicción (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The farmer's suicide was attributed to emotional distress.El suicidio del granjero se atribuyó a la aflicción emocional.
c. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Angela drank when she experienced distress, but alcohol only made her feel worse.Ángela tomaba cuando estaba sufriendo, pero el alcohol solo hacía que se sintiera peor.
Edward went through terrible distress when his sister humiliated him in front of his girlfriend.Edward sufrió terriblemente cuando su hermana lo humilló frente a su novia.
2. (physical strain)
a. el agotamiento (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Robert began to show signs of distress when he'd been running for 20 minutes.Robert comenzó a mostrar señales de agotamiento cuando tenía 20 minutos corriendo.
b. el sufrimiento (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The baby experienced fetal distress during labor.El bebé experimentó sufrimiento fetal durante el trabajo de parto.
3. (danger)
a. el peligro (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The lighthouse sighted a ship in distress.El faro avistó un buque en peligro.
4. (financial anguish)
a. los apuros (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
After three months of unemployment, Peter was in financial distress.Después de tres meses sin trabajo, Peter estaba en apuros económicos.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
5. (to agitate)
6. (to artificially age something)
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g. the big dog).
7. (asking for help)
a. de socorro
The ship sent a distress signal using the radio.El buque envió una señal de socorro usando la radio.
