stress

1 of 2

noun

ˈstres 

1

: constraining force or influence: such as

a

: a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part

especially : the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch

b

: the deformation caused in a body by such a force

c

: a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation

d

: a state resulting from a stress

especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium

job-related stress

e

: strain, pressure

the environment is under stress to the point of collapse

—Joseph Shoben

2

: emphasis, weight

lay stress on a point

3

archaic : intense effort or exertion

4

: intensity of utterance given to a speech sound, syllable, or word producing relative loudness

5

a

: relative force or prominence of sound in verse

b

: a syllable having relative force or prominence

6

: accent sense 5a

stress

2 of 2

verb

stressed; stressing; stresses

transitive verb

1

: to subject to physical or psychological stress

stressing the equipment

this traffic is stressing me out

2

: to subject to phonetic stress : accent

3

: to lay stress on : emphasize

stressed the importance of teamwork

intransitive verb

: to feel stress

stressing about the big exam

—often used with out

Synonyms

Noun

• pressure
• strain
• tension

Verb

• bother
• fear
• fret
• fuss
• stew
• sweat
• trouble
• worry

Examples of stress in a Sentence

Noun

She uses meditation as a way of reducing stress.

Hormones are released into the body in response to emotional stress.

She is dealing with the stresses of working full-time and going to school.

He talked about the stresses and strains of owning a business.

Carrying a heavy backpack around all day puts a lot of stress on your shoulders and back.

To reduce the amount of stress on your back, bend your knees when you lift something heavy.

The ship's mast snapped under the stress of high winds.

measuring the effects of stresses on the material

Verb

The union stressed the need for stricter safety standards.

The risks involved in the procedure should be stressed.

Some people stress the second syllable of “harassment,” while others stress the first.

When she said, “We need lots of money,” she stressed the word “lots.”

It's not an important decision and it isn't worth stressing over.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As the days lengthen and the mercury rises, so too will the prevalence of anxiety, stress, anger, grief, fatigue, irritability and other emotions researchers have linked to heat. —The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024

The seeds, as the crystals are called, are intended to stimulate the brain to send various signals to the body when positioned: There’s a point near the inner flap to aid with digestion and another near the top for stress. —Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2024

Their fast metabolism also puts them under oxidative stress. —Doru Paul, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2024

Adding to the company’s stress, Cirque made a number of acquisitions, notably performance-art company Blue Man Group in 2017 and later, kids entertainment firm VStar, as well as magic-show creator The Works—despite never having been a portfolio company. —Phil Wahba, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024

Many of the girls and women who reported abuse by Mr. Nassar have battled mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and some have attempted suicide. —Juliet MacUr, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024

Higher temperatures could also cause the plants to become water stress, further exposing the trees to invasion from the expanding number of beetles, Jones said. —Lilia Geho, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2024

But in the new research, the Jefferson Lab physicists are instead mapping the proton’s gravitational influence—namely, the distribution of energies, pressures, and shear stresses throughout, which bend the space-time fabric in and around the particle. —Charlie Wood, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2024

Armas doesn’t want to put too much stress into whether matches are home or away. —Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2024

Verb

The embrace of early voting practices was met with open arms by Republican groups that lobbied Trump advisers for a change and stressed that more needed to be done ahead of November. —Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024

Doctors stress the importance of daily application for healthy skin. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024

Most protest organizers across the country have stressed to their followers that the protests should be non-violent. —Will Carless, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024

Read my hate mail:The climate crisis stresses me out, too. —The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have stressed the urgency of sending military and humanitarian funds overseas. —Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024

Bough stressed another reason for killing Willett’s resolution. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024

But, Kishida stressed, Japan was ready to share the United States’ burden. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024

This condition is more likely to occur in serious athletes who stress their arms, like tennis players or baseball pitchers. —Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stresse stress, distress, short for destresse — more at distress

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1540, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing stress

• anti-stress
• de-stress
• lay great stress/emphasis on
• lay/put stress on
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• sentence stress
• storm and stress
• stress ball
• stress fracture
• stress incontinence
• stress management
• stress mark
• stress test
• under stress
• word stress

Kids Definition

stress

1 of 2 noun

ˈstres 

1

a

: a force that acts when one body or part of a body presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to squeeze or twist another body or part of a body

b

: the change in shape caused in a body by such a force

c

: a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be involved in causing some diseases

also : a state of tension resulting from a stress

2

: special importance given to something : emphasis, weight

lay stress on a point

3

: relative force or loudness of sound

"finally" has the stress on the first syllable

4

: accent entry 1 sense 4

stressless

-ləs

adjective

stress

2 of 2 verb

1

: to subject to physical or emotional stress

stressing the equipment

this traffic is stressing me out

2

: to pronounce with stress

stress the last syllable

3

: emphasize

stressed the importance of teamwork

4

: to feel stress

stressing about the big test

Medical Definition

stress

1 of 2 noun

ˈstres 

1

a

: a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part

especially : the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch

b

: the deformation caused in a body by such a force

2

a

: a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation

b

: a state of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium

3

: the force exerted between teeth of the upper and lower jaws during mastication

stress

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to subject to stress

a patient stressed by surgery