Stressed — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈstrest/

Meaning & Definition of Stressed

Stressed (adjective)

  1. subjected to or affected by stress —often used with out—often hyphenated before a noun

Stressed (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: shell-shocked, stressed-out, on the rack
    related: burned-out, exhausted, knackered (British), tired, worn-out, undone, unmanned, unnerved, unstrung, edgy, nervous, tense, uneasy, agitated, disturbed, perturbed, troubled, upset, aggravated, angry, annoyed, exasperated, irritated
    near: laid-back, relaxed, rested, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lighthearted, unconcerned

Stressed (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to experience concern or anxiety

    "the restaurant manager has a tendency to stress about every little thing that goes wrong"

    similar: bothered, feared, fretted, fussed, stewed, sweat, troubled, worried, gave a hang, sweat blood
    related: agonized, longed, pined, yearned, chafed, despaired
    near: accepted, abided, bore, endured, stomached, stuck out, sustained, tolerated, took

  2. to make more apparent

    "his bad performance only stressed what I'd been saying all along"

    similar: accentuated, brought out, emphasized, italicized, underlined, underscored
    related: amplified, beefed (up), boosted, reinforced, strengthened, augmented, deepened, enhanced, enlarged, heightened, magnified, maximized, supplemented, enlivened, jazzed (up)
    opposite: de-emphasized
    near: decreased, diminished, lessened, minimized, reduced, subdued, toned (down), understated, weakened

  3. to indicate the importance of by centering attention on

    "the doctor stressed the importance of exercise"

    similar: accented, accentuated, emphasized, featured, foregrounded, highlighted, illuminated, played up, pointed (up), pressed, punctuated, bore down on, made much of
    related: focused, identified, pinpointed, spotlighted, advertised, boosted, plugged, promoted, publicized, overplayed
    opposite: de-emphasized, played down
    near: toned (down), underemphasized, understated, belittled, discounted, disparaged, minimized

Related Entry: Stress (verb)

Stress is a different word from Stressed. The synonyms below are for stress, not for stressed.

  1. to experience concern or anxiety

    "the restaurant manager has a tendency to stress about every little thing that goes wrong"

    similar: bother, fear, fret, fuss, stew, sweat, trouble, worry, give a hang, sweat blood
    related: agonize, long, pine, yearn, chafe, despair
    near: accept, abide, bear, endure, stick out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate

  2. to make more apparent

    "his bad performance only stressed what I'd been saying all along"

    similar: accentuate, bring out, emphasize, italicize, underline, underscore
    related: amplify, beef (up), boost, reinforce, strengthen, augment, deepen, enhance, enlarge, heighten, magnify, maximize, supplement, enliven, jazz (up)
    opposite: de-emphasize
    near: decrease, diminish, lessen, minimize, reduce, subdue, tone (down), understate, weaken

  3. to indicate the importance of by centering attention on

    "the doctor stressed the importance of exercise"

    similar: accent, accentuate, emphasize, feature, foreground, highlight, illuminate, play up, point (up), press, punctuate, bear down on, make much of
    related: focus, identify, pinpoint, spotlight, advertise, boost, plug, promote, publicize, overplay
    opposite: de-emphasize, play down
    near: tone (down), underemphasize, understate, belittle, discount, disparage, minimize

Related Entry: Stressed-out (adjective)

Stressed-out is a different word from Stressed. The synonyms below are for stressed-out, not for stressed.

  1. suffering from high levels of physical and especially psychological stress

    "the demands of this job are enough to make anyone stressed-out"

    similar: shell-shocked, stressed, on the rack
    related: burned-out, exhausted, knackered (British), tired, worn-out, undone, unmanned, unnerved, unstrung, edgy, nervous, tense, uneasy, agitated, disturbed, perturbed, troubled, upset, aggravated, angry, annoyed, exasperated, irritated
    near: laid-back, relaxed, rested, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lighthearted, unconcerned

Related Entry: De-stressed (verb)

De-stressed is a different word from Stressed. The synonyms below are for de-stressed, not for stressed.

  1. to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety

    "he watches classic movie comedies as a way to de-stress"

    similar: chilled, chilled out (slang), decompressed, loosened up, mellowed (out), relaxed, unwound, wound down, hung loose
    related: unbent, basked, kicked back, lolled, lounged, reposed, rested, bummed, dallied, dawdled, dillydallied, droned, footled, goofed (off), hacked (around), hung (around or out), idled, lazed, loafed, vegetated, vegged out, zoned out, alleviated, comforted, eased, relieved, calmed, composed, cooled, quieted, settled
    opposite: tensed (up)

Related Entry: De-stress (verb)

De-stress is a different word from Stressed. The synonyms below are for de-stress, not for stressed.

  1. to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety

    "he watches classic movie comedies as a way to de-stress"

    similar: chill, chill out (slang), decompress, loosen up, mellow (out), relax, unwind, wind down, hang loose
    related: unbend, bask, kick back, loll, lounge, repose, rest, bum, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, vegetate, veg out, zone out, alleviate, comfort, ease, relieve, calm, compose, cool, quiet, settle
    opposite: tense (up)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Stressed

The most common words with a similar meaning to Stressed:

shell-shocked, stressed-out, on the rack, bothered, feared, fretted, fussed, stewed, sweat, troubled, worried, accentuated, brought out, emphasized, italicized, underlined, underscored, accented, featured, foregrounded, highlighted, illuminated, played up, pointed (up), pressed, punctuated, gave a hang, sweat blood, bore down on, made much of

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Stressed

Words with the opposite meaning of Stressed:

de-emphasized, played down

Related Words for Stressed

burned-out, exhausted, knackered, tired, worn-out, undone, unmanned, unnerved, unstrung, edgy, nervous, tense, uneasy, agitated, disturbed, perturbed, upset, aggravated, angry, annoyed, exasperated, irritated, agonized, longed, pined, yearned, chafed, despaired, amplified, beefed (up)

Near Antonyms of Stressed

laid-back, relaxed, rested, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lighthearted, unconcerned, accepted, abided, bore, endured, stomached, stuck out, sustained, tolerated, took, decreased, diminished, lessened, minimized, reduced, subdued, toned (down), understated, weakened, underemphasized, belittled, discounted, disparaged

Origin & Etymology of Stressed

First known use: 1973

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Stressed

  • Topics: Feelings & Emotions

Words & Phrases Containing Stressed

stressed BIN, stressed-out

Frequently Asked Questions about Stressed

What does "Stressed" mean?

"Stressed" means subjected to or affected by stress —often used with out—often hyphenated before a noun. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: subjected to or affected by stress —often used with out—often hyphenated before a noun. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Stressed"?

Other words for "Stressed" include shell-shocked, stressed-out, on the rack, bothered, feared, fretted, fussed and stewed. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Stressed" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Stressed"?

There are 82 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Stressed". Common alternatives include shell-shocked, stressed-out, on the rack, bothered, feared, fretted, fussed, stewed, sweat and troubled.

What is the opposite of "Stressed"?

Antonyms of "Stressed" include de-emphasized and played down. Near antonyms include laid-back, relaxed, rested and carefree.

How do you use "Stressed" in a sentence?

Examples of "Stressed" in a sentence: "you seem really stressed right now, so maybe you should try to do something more relaxing"; "the restaurant manager has a tendency to stress about every little thing that goes wrong"; "his bad performance only stressed what I'd been saying all along".

Is "Stressed" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Stressed" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Stressed"?

"Stressed" is pronounced /ˈstrest/.

What is the origin of the word "Stressed"?

First known use: 1973.