Synonyms of stress

stress 1 of 2

noun

ˈstres 

1

as in pressure

the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time

with a full-time job and her college courses, the young woman is under a lot of stress right now

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pressure
• strain
• tension
• worry
• anxiety
• load
• concern
• weight
• anger
• irritation
• trouble
• persecution
• uneasiness
• aggravation
• annoyance
• exasperation

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• comfort
• consolation

2

as in emphasis

a special notice or importance given to something

the company's orientation program places considerable stress on workplace safety

Synonyms & Similar Words

• emphasis
• focus
• weight
• accent
• accentuation
• concentration
• attention
• underscoring
• value
• significance
• priority
• consequence
• moment
• consideration
• spotlight
• import
• worth
• precedence
• primacy
• top billing
• regard
• note
• heed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• minimization
• indifference
• disregard
• de-emphasis
• underemphasis

stress

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to worry

to experience concern or anxiety

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worry
• fear
• fret
• trouble
• sweat
• bother
• stew
• fuss
• sweat blood
• give a hang
• long
• despair
• pine
• agonize
• yearn
• chafe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accept
• take
• endure
• bear
• sustain
• tolerate
• abide
• stomach
• stick out

2

as in to emphasize

to make more apparent

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• emphasize
• reinforce
• enhance
• deepen
• underline
• underscore
• bring out
• accentuate
• strengthen
• maximize
• heighten
• amplify
• supplement
• augment
• italicize
• boost
• magnify
• enlarge
• jazz (up)
• beef (up)
• enliven

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reduce
• minimize
• decrease
• tone (down)
• lessen
• diminish
• de-emphasize
• weaken
• understate
• subdue

3

as in to highlight

to indicate the importance of by centering attention on

the doctor stressed the importance of exercise

Synonyms & Similar Words

• emphasize
• highlight
• feature
• accent
• point (up)
• focus
• punctuate
• identify
• accentuate
• bear down on
• press
• illuminate
• play up
• foreground
• promote
• pinpoint
• make much of
• advertise
• spotlight
• boost
• publicize
• plug
• overplay

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tone (down)
• play down
• minimize
• understate
• underemphasize
• de-emphasize
• discount
• belittle
• disparage

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stress

Noun

As the euro zone sovereign debt crisis of the early 2010s showed, market stress in one country can spread rapidly through economies that share a currency and a central bank but retain separate fiscal systems. — Jenni Reid,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Research has shown that the therapeutic use of horseback riding can improve balance and coordination in people who have neurological conditions like cerebral palsy, and lessen the symptoms for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. — Ondine Cohane, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Verb

At the same time, Becker and other experts stressed that those efforts to date have failed, and state and local elections have largely proceeded in recent weeks without incident, with millions of Americans having already cast their ballots. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

The research team stressed that looking at daytime napping habits gives a much clearer picture of overall health than looking at nighttime sleep alone. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026