as in difficult
full of or causing stress; making you feel worried or anxious
I had a stressful day at work today. a stressful situation
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Recent Examples of stressful
The moment should have been stressful — Washington, on the road in the NFL playoffs, faced third-and-1 with a chance to win the game.
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NBC News, 13 Jan. 2025
Running out of battery while navigating an unfamiliar city, using translation apps, or staying in touch with friends and family can quickly turn a great day into a stressful one.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2025
It’s been stressful but also a true pleasure and honor to be part of that process.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Jan. 2025
People forget that the boarding of the flight is absolutely, by far, the most stressful part of the plane trip, even for adults.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stressful 
NBC News, 13 Jan. 2025
Running out of battery while navigating an unfamiliar city, using translation apps, or staying in touch with friends and family can quickly turn a great day into a stressful one.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2025
It’s been stressful but also a true pleasure and honor to be part of that process.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Jan. 2025
People forget that the boarding of the flight is absolutely, by far, the most stressful part of the plane trip, even for adults.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stressful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stressful
Adjective
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Simplifying Complexity Through Narratives Leaders often need to communicate complex strategies or concepts, which can be difficult for teams to fully grasp.Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
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Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that's difficult to detect.MARK SHERMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Households are currently seeing significant reductions in their monthly electricity usage, resulting in cost savings—a big relief, especially in tough economic times.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
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Reporting Highlights Child Care Gap: About 70% of rural Illinoisans live in a child care desert, forcing tough choices on parents: Some drive 100 miles a day or more to find care, others leave the workforce.ProPublica, ProPublica, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Directed by Justin Baldoni, the film offers a powerful and sobering narrative about how romance colors our vision even in the most trying and terrifying of moments.Travis Bean, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
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Sean Ono Lennon on Growing Up with 'Good Witch' Yoko Ono — and 'Rebelling' Against Her 'Cosmic, Woo-Woo Stuff' (Exclusive) The press conference was a moment of levity in the midst of a very trying time for the couple.Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near stressful
Cite this Entry
“Stressful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressful. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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