stressful

American

[stres-fuhl] / ˈstrɛs fəl /

adjective

full of stress or tension.

the stressful days before a war.

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

stressfully adverb
unstressful adjective

Etymology

Origin of stressful

First recorded in 1850–55; stress + -ful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It was very stressful because it came right behind my house,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

In those settings, microbes could rely on sunlight for energy and avoid animals that would otherwise consume them, especially during stressful periods or after mass extinctions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

That desire may be heightened when "social platforms also give us access to horrifying, stressful, violent, and overall negative experiences", she added.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

It’s stressful enough without a CPA asleep on the job.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

“Sometimes I ask myself: ‘Why do I constantly put myself in these stressful situations?”’ he says.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023