: subjected to or affected by stress
Feeling stressed can often lead people to reach for a high-calorie, sugary comfort food.—Alexa Mikhail
As important as training is to distance running, the time devoted to repair stressed muscles between races is even more crucial.—Joseph Hall
That translates into a drought, and stressed trees are highly susceptible to beetle infestations.—Jim Robbins
… the soundscape inside these vehicles, punctuated by mechanical rattles and the groans of stressed metal …—Chris Knight
—often used with out —often hyphenated before a nounShe's never looked so stressed out, or been so unflatteringly photographed.—David Ansen
… the kind of help most stressed-out parents can only dream of …—Michelle Tauber et al.
Cite this Entry
“Stressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stressed. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.
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