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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stressful
Emotional Intelligence Work can be demanding and stressful.
—
John Hall, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
In Sunday’s stressful Season 3 finale, all the storylines came to a tragic climax, with Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), Rick (Walton Goggins) and Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn), who was revealed to be Rick’s real father, all dying in a shootout at the resort.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Having a toddler-age child is thought to be among the most stressful periods in a parent's life.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Having something to contribute outside of hair helps build the relationship and keeps the energy fun, even on the most stressful days.
—Jessica Fields, Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
John Hall, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
In Sunday’s stressful Season 3 finale, all the storylines came to a tragic climax, with Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), Rick (Walton Goggins) and Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn), who was revealed to be Rick’s real father, all dying in a shootout at the resort.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Having a toddler-age child is thought to be among the most stressful periods in a parent's life.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Having something to contribute outside of hair helps build the relationship and keeps the energy fun, even on the most stressful days.
—Jessica Fields, Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stressful
Adjective
-
Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, the major drama comes in the form of Ivy’s corruption by her acting coach, as Ivy gradually goes method and becomes as difficult to work with as Marilyn was (one of this musical’s many meta moments).—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two years, Muhammad rang up five more victories against progressively tougher competition.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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On the other side, the Grizzlies had an even tougher time with Curry, who finished with 52 points on 16-of-31 shooting.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This period in local history is arguably one of the most trying times for the people who lived in McLeod County and Minnesota as a whole.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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And Washington’s offensive line, even after losing Pro Bowl guard Sam Cosmi in the first half to a knee injury, was damn near flawless under the most trying of circumstances.—
David Aldridge,
The Athletic,
19 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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