stressed-out

American  

[strest-out] / ˈstrɛstˈaʊt /

adjective

1. afflicted with or incapacitated by stress.

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Usage

What does stressed-out mean? Stressed-out means experiencing a lot of emotional stress. The adjective stressed can mean the same thing. Both terms often imply that the level of stress is intense or higher than usual—that stress has built up and is becoming hard to deal with. The phrasal verb stress out can mean to experience stress, as in Don’t stress out about the meeting—it’s not a big deal. It can also mean to cause someone to experience stress, as in You’re really stressing me out. The term stressed-out comes from the past tense of this sense: someone who is stressed-out has been stressed out by someone or something (or, as is often the case, by a combination of different factors). Stressed-out is commonly spelled without a hyphen, as stressed out. Example: During the week of final exams, the library is filled with stressed-out students frantically trying to study.

Example Sentences

Stressed out baristas have been unionizing, with employees at 236 stores voting to join a union over the past year, out of Starbucks' nearly 9,000 corporate-owned U.S. locations.

From Reuters • Sep. 13, 2022

Stressed out over the lingering covid-19 pandemic and an uncertain economy, many feel the need to focus more on their day-to-day challenges at home.

From Washington Post • Oct. 12, 2021

Stressed out, anxious, maybe even panic-stricken about your commitments.

From The Guardian • Jan. 1, 2016

Stressed out over lost work because of the storm, Kate is further annoyed when repairman Peter is three hours late.

From Forbes • Jun. 30, 2014

Stressed out, on a deadline, I was frustrated to the point of uselessness and began to post a handful of items to Twitter and Tumblr.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2012