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
Road trips or destinations with outdoor access are preferred, though traveling can be stressful for some pets.
—
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Research shows stepping away from work – especially when left with no alternatives – can be both emotionally and financially stressful for women.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Learning these important skills takes practice to feel comfortable at any age, but doing so will help turn intimidating medical appointments into more efficient and productive — and less stressful — visits.
—Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Losing or leaving a job is already stressful enough without worrying about when your last paycheck will show up.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Research shows stepping away from work – especially when left with no alternatives – can be both emotionally and financially stressful for women.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Learning these important skills takes practice to feel comfortable at any age, but doing so will help turn intimidating medical appointments into more efficient and productive — and less stressful — visits.
—Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Losing or leaving a job is already stressful enough without worrying about when your last paycheck will show up.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stressful
Adjective
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Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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Last summer, after years of hip problems and some difficult surgeries to address them, Jill had an operation that went poorly.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, also known as the StudBudz, are shifty, tough shot-making guards who can get hot in a hurry.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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And that’s tough on those guys.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Doing the right thing is the right way to inoculate your business against exogenous events, while positioning your brand for sustainable growth in even the most trying of times.—
Michael Ringman,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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But agricultural leaders see this year as one of the industry’s most trying periods, beset by economic and political factors that could significantly reduce production.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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