'stroke-inducing' originates as a Modern English compound of 'stroke' + 'inducing', where 'stroke' itself originates from Old English 'strōc' meaning 'a blow or stroke', and 'inducing' ultimately derives from Latin 'inducere', where 'in-' meant 'into' and 'ducere' meant 'to lead'.

'stroke' changed from the Old English word 'strōc' (originally meaning 'a blow' or 'strike') and later gained the specialized medical sense 'a sudden cerebrovascular attack'; 'inducere' passed into Old French 'induire' and Middle English 'induce', becoming modern English 'induce' and its participle 'inducing'; the compound 'stroke-inducing' was formed in Modern English by combining these elements.

Initially, 'stroke' meant 'a blow' and 'induce' meant 'to lead into'; over time, 'stroke' developed the medical meaning 'a sudden cerebrovascular attack' and 'induce' came to be used widely as 'to cause', so the compound now means 'causing a stroke' (or, figuratively, 'causing severe stress').