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
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stressful
But the steals did make for a lot of stressful moments.
—
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
The Angels’ hitters helped make the game less stressful by scoring seven runs in the first two innings.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Turning that passion into a career, even a stressful and underpaid one, felt like a dream.
—Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026
Whether her students are navigating a tough math equation or a stressful gaming tournament, Dillard is always right by their side.
—La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
The Angels’ hitters helped make the game less stressful by scoring seven runs in the first two innings.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Turning that passion into a career, even a stressful and underpaid one, felt like a dream.
—Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026
Whether her students are navigating a tough math equation or a stressful gaming tournament, Dillard is always right by their side.
—La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stressful
Adjective
-
The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Otherwise, those prospects start becoming large contracts that stand more difficult to move or aggregate.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the when, where and who will play whom at the 2026 World Cup all locked in, how do the groups rank from the easiest to the toughest?—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
Opening a restaurant in downtown Boise is a tough racket.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
More than half of the search-and-rescue workers who show up for the most trying missions are BUSARs.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
And Modi and Xi have had a more trying relationship than either has had with Putin.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
