as in difficult
full of or causing stress; making you feel worried or anxious
I had a stressful day at work today. a stressful situation
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Recent Examples of stressful
The Sane One is a memoir, building on subjects Konkle’s loosely autobiographical teen avatar teased in the show– namely, stressful dads, and a traumatic divorce.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Couples who spend money on time-saving services — like getting takeout, hiring a house cleaner or calling a dog walker — report greater relationship satisfaction, especially during stressful periods, says Ashley Whillans, a behavioral scientist and professor at Harvard Business School.
—Tracee M. Herbaugh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Creating invitations should feel easy, not stressful.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Those impacts are personal, economic, stressful and extremely dire.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Couples who spend money on time-saving services — like getting takeout, hiring a house cleaner or calling a dog walker — report greater relationship satisfaction, especially during stressful periods, says Ashley Whillans, a behavioral scientist and professor at Harvard Business School.
—Tracee M. Herbaugh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Creating invitations should feel easy, not stressful.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Those impacts are personal, economic, stressful and extremely dire.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stressful
Adjective
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Jens generally chooses his words carefully, and is, what’s more, particularly reticent just after finishing a long and difficult winter delivery trip; what’s a person supposed to do with words in a blizzard anyway, up on a stormy heath and all directions lost?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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In his first start in the wake of Beau Pribula’s significant injury, Zollers walked into a difficult situation, and his stat line reflected it.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
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However, their record at the Etihad makes for tough reading.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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And Modi and Xi have had a more trying relationship than either has had with Putin.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
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When your spouse passes away, this can be a very trying and confusing time.—
Thomas Hager,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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