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

The caregiver partner can feel a consistent stress to keep it together during that time, which can last decades. —Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 1 May 2025

Recognizing work stress starts with self-awareness. —Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Verb

Adobe executives stressed the importance of understanding each model’s strengths and nuances to achieve optimal results. —Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Snacks are easiest to take off a shopping list As consumers are watching their finances and stressed about their budgets, the snack category is the easiest to drop, said Chris Costagli, vice president and food insights lead for NielsenIQ (NIQ). —Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 1 May 2025

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

Rhymes for stress

• bless
• chess
• cress
• dress
• es
• ess
• esse
• fess
• guess
• jess
• less
• lesse

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