stressful

adjective

stress·​ful ˈstres-fəl 

: full of or tending to induce stress

stressfully

ˈstres-fə-lē 

adverb

Examples of stressful in a Sentence

I had a stressful day at work today.

Recent Examples on the Web

These go-tos make trains, planes, and automobiles far less stressful. — Luke Pyenson, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026

Penalty kicks, particularly under highly stressful World Cup conditions, are a great laboratory for studying human behaviour under pressure. — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026

The week before the captain of the Aquatravesia oil tanker arrived in Southern California must have been stressful. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Ercoli cited a study finding that women with stressful jobs had a 40% higher rate of heart disease than those without. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stressful

• distressful
• successful
• unsuccessful

Kids Definition

stressful

adjective

stress·​ful ˈstres-fəl 

: full of or tending to cause stress

stressfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

stressful

adjective

stress·​ful ˈstres-fəl 

: full of or subject to stress

stressful situations

stressfully

-fə-lē 

adverb