The verbal phrase Stressed Out has also become increasingly popular in recent years probably due, in part, to quickening of the pace of life.
It may be evident to the person learning English that some people say they are “stressed” while others say they are “stressed out” and wonder what the difference between the two expressions is.
Stressed
Actually the two terms are often used interchangeably because there is almost no difference in definition. Both mean “anxiety or fatigue because of external pressures which makes it impossible to relax.
” However, even though the basic definition is the same, there is a minuscule difference between the two based on intensity. In general, being “stressed out” is a little more intense than being “stressed.”
However, this is one case in which you shouldn’t worry as much about which word to use because the words are so similar that you will be understood no matter which word you use. In order to ensure that you know how to use the term correctly, here is how it is used in a sentence:
I am so stressed out that I haven’t been able to sleep well for the past week.
The title of this article is another example of how the phrase is used:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18442-drug-for-depression-tried-on-stressedout-rats.html
