stressed
adjective
ˈstrest 
: subjected to or affected by stress
The feeling that one must show up for work even if one is too sick, stressed [=stressed-out], or distracted to be productive.
Paul McFedries
Paul McFedriesAs important as training is to distance running, the time devoted to repair stressed muscles between races is even more crucial. Joseph Hall
Joseph HallThat translates into a drought, and stressed trees are highly susceptible to beetle infestations. Jim Robbins
Jim Robbins… the soundscape inside these vehicles, punctuated by mechanical rattles and the groans of stressed metal … Chris Knight
Chris Knight
Synonyms
- shell-shocked
- stressed-out
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He was feeling pretty stressed about the deadline. you seem really stressed right now, so maybe you should try to do something more relaxing
Recent Examples on the Web But Imperial’s got a lot more sunlight left to give — and most of the solar farms being planned there today include lithium-ion battery storage systems that can bank clean power for the evening, when the electric grid is most stressed. Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 During a Flex Alert, consumers are asked to conserve energy from 4 to 9 p.m., hours when the grid is most stressed. Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022 Fishing guides are a bit stressed this summer because of high fuel prices. D'arcy Egan, cleveland, 23 June 2022 Worried about amplifying Caldbeck’s retaliation, Lai didn’t talk about her situation even with her younger brother, who had noticed his sister seemed stressed and glued to her phone. Stephanie Clifford, ELLE, 28 Jan. 2022 People who were more stressed out at work tended to get less exercise and worse sleep, an ideal scenario for feeling less than great. Chris Woolston, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2022 And according to the research, parents are also more stressed than non-parents about other issues as well. Tracy Brower, Forbes, 5 June 2022 But the system is no doubt stressed, leaving doctors feeling overburdened and underpaid. New York Times, 7 Feb. 2022 Certain strands of gray hair had tiny bits of dark color that had grown when the volunteers were less stressed. Joe Queenan, WSJ, 1 July 2021 See More
Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 During a Flex Alert, consumers are asked to conserve energy from 4 to 9 p.m., hours when the grid is most stressed. Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022 Fishing guides are a bit stressed this summer because of high fuel prices. D'arcy Egan, cleveland, 23 June 2022 Worried about amplifying Caldbeck’s retaliation, Lai didn’t talk about her situation even with her younger brother, who had noticed his sister seemed stressed and glued to her phone. Stephanie Clifford, ELLE, 28 Jan. 2022 People who were more stressed out at work tended to get less exercise and worse sleep, an ideal scenario for feeling less than great. Chris Woolston, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2022 And according to the research, parents are also more stressed than non-parents about other issues as well. Tracy Brower, Forbes, 5 June 2022 But the system is no doubt stressed, leaving doctors feeling overburdened and underpaid. New York Times, 7 Feb. 2022 Certain strands of gray hair had tiny bits of dark color that had grown when the volunteers were less stressed. Joe Queenan, WSJ, 1 July 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1973, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing stressed
stressed 1 of 2
adjective
as in tired
suffering from high levels of physical and especially psychological stress you seem really stressed right now, so maybe you should try to do something more relaxing Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- tired
- exhausted
- nervous
- stressed-out
- annoyed
- upset
- irritated
- angry
- troubled
- shell-shocked
- disturbed
- agitated
- unnerved
- perturbed
- knackered
- on the rack
- aggravated
- exasperated
- tense
- burnt-out
- uneasy
- undone
- unstrung
- burned-out
- unmanned
- worn-out
- edgy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rested
- relaxed
- unconcerned
- carefree
- lighthearted
- laid-back
- happy-go-lucky
- devil-may-care
stressed
2 of 2verb
1
as in worried
to experience concern or anxiety the restaurant manager has a tendency to stress about every little thing that goes wrong Synonyms & Similar Words
- worried
- fretted
- feared
- troubled
- bothered
- fussed
- sweated
- stewed
- sweat
- sweat blood
- sweated blood
- cared a hang
- agonized
- gave a hang
- despaired
- longed
- pined
- chafed
- yearned
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- accepted
- sustained
- took
- tolerated
- bore
- endured
- stuck out
- abided
- stomached
- abode
2
as in emphasized
to make more apparent his bad performance only stressed what I'd been saying all along Synonyms & Similar Words
- emphasized
- reinforced
- underscored
- underlined
- accentuated
- deepened
- enhanced
- brought out
- italicized
- strengthened
- amplified
- heightened
- supplemented
- maximized
- augmented
- enlarged
- reenforced
- enlivened
- boosted
- magnified
- beefed (up)
- jazzed (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reduced
- weakened
- decreased
- de-emphasized
- minimized
- diminished
- subdued
- lessened
- understated
- toned (down)
3
as in highlighted
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on the doctor stressed the importance of exercise Synonyms & Similar Words
- emphasized
- highlighted
- featured
- punctuated
- identified
- accentuated
- accented
- foregrounded
- focused
- illuminated
- pressed
- played up
- promoted
- bore down on
- pinpointed
- spotlighted
- advertised
- pointed (up)
- focussed
- publicized
- made much of
- overplayed
- plugged
- boosted
- spotlit
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- underemphasized
- minimized
- understated
- disparaged
- de-emphasized
- belittled
- toned (down)
- discounted
- played down