stressor

American

[stres-er, -awr] / ˈstrɛs ər, -ɔr /

noun

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

stressor British

/ ˈstrɛsə /

noun

an event, experience, etc, that causes stress

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of stressor

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

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.

See Examples For:

stressor

If future studies confirm the connection, the researchers say it could offer clues about why some patients remain chronically ill even after the initial infection, stressor, or other trigger is no longer present.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Research suggests HSD symptoms can worsen, or come to light, after a stressor, Dr Eccles says.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Classroom technology use has been a stressor for India Brookover of Granada Hills, whose daughter will be entering transitional kindergarten, or TK, next year and whose screen time in preschool has been near zero.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 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

Among the 75% of employees who say rising costs are a top stressor, half said the stress causes them to feel distracted at work, Fidelity said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 15, 2025

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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