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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Most patients can also point to a stressful event that predated the episode.
—
Aria Bendix, NBC news, 14 May 2025
The home-buying process is stressful enough as is, so feeling empowered about what's on your list of non-negotiables is essential to alleviate some of that strain.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
Thinking about losing a franchise quarterback is always a stressful situation.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Hacks‘ Ava Daniels has finally found a way to let off some stream after suffering through her stressful job and ongoing feud with Deborah: by getting physical with her new boyfriend/girlfriend pair, Emily and Dev.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Aria Bendix, NBC news, 14 May 2025
The home-buying process is stressful enough as is, so feeling empowered about what's on your list of non-negotiables is essential to alleviate some of that strain.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
Thinking about losing a franchise quarterback is always a stressful situation.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Hacks‘ Ava Daniels has finally found a way to let off some stream after suffering through her stressful job and ongoing feud with Deborah: by getting physical with her new boyfriend/girlfriend pair, Emily and Dev.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stressful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stressful
Adjective
-
Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
-
Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
Being a careless jackass but also irresistibly charming is a tough needle to thread.—
Staff Author Published,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
-
Johnson has been on a winning streak this year with Trump in the White House and backing him repeatedly to muscle through a series of very tough votes on the slimmest of majorities.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Getting to Coachella this year has been more trying than usual, festivalgoers say, as many are taking to social media to complain about hours-long lines to get to the car camping area on the festival grounds.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2025
-
There also is a rather sketchy guy named The Bear (Jon Bernthal), who owes Charlie for his help during one very trying time in his time at the agency.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share