distressful vs worrying

distressful is not a noun while worrying is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
distressful	No	Yes	No	No
worrying	Yes	Yes	No	No

As adjectives, distressful and worrying are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of distressful include distressing, disturbing, perturbing, troubling, worrisome.

distressful (noun)	worrying (noun)
	the act of harassing someone
	the act of moving something by repeated tugs or pushes

distressful (adjective)	worrying (adjective)
causing distress or worry or anxiety	causing distress or worry or anxiety