stressful

[stres-fuhl]

adjective

1. full of stress or tension.

   the stressful days before a war.

Other Word Forms

• stressfully adverb
• unstressful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stressful¹

First recorded in 1850–55; stress + -ful

Example Sentences

"It was horrendous. It was one of the most traumatic, stressful times and my wife was beside herself," he said.

Read more on BBC

While some find annual celebrations wonderful, studies show that for many Americans, they can be stressful, isolating and depressing – especially in these divisive times.

Read more on Salon

"It was incredibly stressful because the price of groceries has gone up, the cost of living in general is ridiculous," said Ms Secord, who finally landed a receptionist role in early November.

Read more on BBC

Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” takes this plot device to a stressful extreme by pitting two brothers against each other as they jockey for the affection of their longtime friend.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“In doing so, airlines created a very crowded, stressful environment on the plane,” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agitated 
• anxious 
• apprehensive 
• edgy 
• excited 
• jittery 
• nervous 
• restive 
• shaky 
• strained 
• uneasy 

When To Use

What does stressful mean?

Stressful means full of stress or causing stress. It’s typically used to describe situations or experiences, such as stressful meetings, stressful trips, or a stressful day.In stressful, the word stress means mental or emotional strain or tension—that all-too-familiar feeling of anxiety, worry, and pressure. Things that are stressful cause people to feel stressed.Example: Trying to study for my math test while also babysitting my three little brothers was incredibly stressful.