stressor

American  

[stres-er, -awr] / ˈstrɛs ər, -ɔr /

noun

1. an activity, event, or other stimulus that causes stress.

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stressor British  

/ ˈstrɛsə /

noun

1. an event, experience, etc, that causes stress

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Etymology

Origin of stressor

First recorded in 1950–55; stress + -or ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stressor

Whitney blamed the loss of their business in 2025 as a major stressor on their relationship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

"It's often, for them, not one enormous stressor," she says.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Other studies have also identified ocean acidification, caused by carbon dioxide making seawater more acidic, as another stressor because it makes shell formation more difficult.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

Because the chickenpox varicella-zoster virus remains dormant in the nervous system, it is plausible that it is a chronic stressor causing chronic inflammation, says Geldsetzer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 6, 2025

Nearly half of adults cited the cost of housing as a major stressor, according to a summer survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2025