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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Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Going through a severe injury is probably the toughest thing an athlete can go through.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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More companies are dialing back flexible work schedules and mandating that employees return to the office part-time or full-time, forcing women into tough situations.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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