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

Ryan said the entire process has been "quite stressful" as he is keen to "get sorted" and gain a qualification.

From BBC

Cat said: "It's so stressful, especially if when you get on a train, it's dark and you don't know whether it's actually going to stop at your station. It's scary."

From BBC

“It can turn those super stressful moments into real teamwork.”

From Salon

She is like the big sister to everyone - she knows what to do in stressful situations and handles things so smoothly.

From BBC

He told The Guardian some events of the last four years have been "very stressful" and he had been "finding out certain things that have really, really hurt."

From BBC

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.