stressed

adjective

ˈstrest 

: subjected to or affected by stress

The feeling that one must show up for work even if one is too sick, stressed [=stressed-out], or distracted to be productive.

—Paul McFedries

As important as training is to distance running, the time devoted to repair stressed muscles between races is even more crucial.

—Joseph Hall

That translates into a drought, and stressed trees are highly susceptible to beetle infestations.

—Jim Robbins

… the soundscape inside these vehicles, punctuated by mechanical rattles and the groans of stressed metal …

—Chris Knight

Synonyms

• tired
• exhausted
• nervous
• on the rack

Examples of stressed in a Sentence

He was feeling pretty stressed about the deadline.

you seem really stressed right now, so maybe you should try to do something more relaxing

Recent Examples on the Web

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also warned that exhausted, stressed and overworked controllers, many of whom have reported needing to get second jobs to cover bills while their paychecks are paused, could increase risks of issues arising at airports, and more have been calling in sick. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

And while aviation has maintained its enviable safety record through far worse, no one in the industry wants to test how long a stressed workforce can hold that line. —Imran Khalid, Boston Herald, 27 Oct. 2025

And that can be comforting in today’s stressed world, says Joseph Sgambatti, 37, a design journalist in New York City. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025

All the parts fit well in this sometimes surreal, sometimes darkly humorous journey into the crumbling mind of a stressed woman. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing stressed

• stressed been
• stressed BIN
• stressed-out

Rhymes for stressed

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed