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
Starting the plants off in a stressful environment won’t set them up for success.
—
Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2025
Toys can also become comfort objects, providing security during stressful times such as when the dog is left alone or exposed to new people and environments.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
In fact, some studies have found that fish oil can counteract adrenal gland activation in stressful situations.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 23 June 2025
Still, asking for a raise at work can be a stressful conversation for many employees.
—Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2025
Toys can also become comfort objects, providing security during stressful times such as when the dog is left alone or exposed to new people and environments.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
In fact, some studies have found that fish oil can counteract adrenal gland activation in stressful situations.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 23 June 2025
Still, asking for a raise at work can be a stressful conversation for many employees.
—Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stressful
Adjective
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James is playing the final year of his contract at $52.6 million, which is a very difficult number for teams to pay.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
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The fire is in difficult country with access issues and firefighters are evaluating options for the right flank and head of the fire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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With one out, however, Ohtani was thrown at the plate trying to score from third on Pages’ chopper up the line — making an aggressive, but proper, read in a game in which the Dodgers had long before conceded that runs would be tough to come by.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
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The tough part is deciding between a leather sofa or a plush number made with performance fabric.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
9 July 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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These past few weeks have been a very trying time for Who fans.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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