stressful

adjective

stress·​ful ˈstres-fəl How to pronounce stressful (audio)
Synonyms of stressfulnext
: full of or tending to induce stress
stressfully
ˈstres-fə-lē How to pronounce stressful (audio)
adverb

Examples of stressful in a Sentence

I had a stressful day at work today.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Waiting for clarity Sunday was stressful, but Herman bided his time celebrating his sister’s birthday with family. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 The train crew described long shifts and stressful working conditions to NTSB officials, who also focused on the fact the locomotive wasn’t hauling any train cars on its trip from West Chicago to Belvidere. — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Flying is notoriously stressful, even for the most prepared travelers. — Jason Stauffer,brett Holzhauer, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 A week after the dust had settled from a tumultuous trade deadline, which Zach Neto said was the most stressful time of the year, John Mozeliak had a meeting with the Angels’ shortstop. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stressful

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stressful was in 1846

Rhymes for stressful

See All Rhymes for stressful

Browse Nearby Words

stress fracture
stressful
stressfully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stressful. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

stressful

adjective
stress·​ful ˈstres-fəl How to pronounce stressful (audio)
: full of or tending to cause stress
stressfully
-fə-lē How to pronounce stressful (audio)
adverb

Medical Definition

stressful

adjective
stress·​ful ˈstres-fəl How to pronounce stressful (audio)
: full of or subject to stress
stressful situations
stressfully
-fə-lē How to pronounce stressful (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on stressful

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stressful

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