stress 1 of 2

noun

ˈstres How to pronounce stress (audio)
Definition of stressnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to emphasize
to make more apparent his bad performance only stressed what I'd been saying all along

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on the doctor stressed the importance of exercise

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stress
Noun
Data centers can require substantial and continuous electricity supplies, while battery systems can provide additional flexibility during periods of high demand or grid stress. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 Aimed to melt away stress, the class focuses on releasing tightness in the shoulders, back and hips. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
The warmer weather also dries out the soil and stresses plants, especially those in drought-prone regions such as the West and the Southwest. — Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 Weight loss isn’t the only potential benefit, and represents just one part of the story, Jay stressed. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stress
  1. pressure
  2. emphasis
  3. worry
  4. emphasize
  5. highlight
  6. strain
  7. focus
  8. reinforce
Noun
  • Professional racers on prototypes (and now production models) of the 805 RX are proving the bike’s ability to withstand competitive pressure.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Which coach has been left under the most pressure by their club’s business?
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of pressure
Noun
  • The investment comes as militaries are placing greater emphasis on electronic warfare, airborne sensing and the ability to operate in environments where communications and radar systems may be contested.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • That was an emphasis in the spring because IU’s first team under DeVries struggled on the glass, ranking 279th in defensive rebounding rate, and finished 14th in defensive efficiency in conference games in the Big Ten.
    — CJ Moore, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of emphasis
Verb
  • The lack of federal guidance, conflicting messages and potential barriers to immunizations worry public health officials because vaccination rates are already falling, leading to resurgences of dangerous diseases like measles.
    — Rob Stein, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Their narrators worry about the corruption of their music scenes by news presenters, magazine writers, major-label scouts, and (for Goetz especially) academics.
    — Robert Rubsam, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of worry
Verb
  • At a high level of abstraction, some scholars emphasize the multiplicity itself as a key aspect of Hinduism.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Since Tiffany’s attacks began, Crowley has moved in Hong’s general direction, emphasizing his requirements—using exclusively renewable energy to power new data centers, building them with union labor—for developers to receive the tax breaks.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of emphasize
Verb
  • Held over 10 days each October, the event started in 1957 as a way to both highlight the bridges and unite the county’s communities in a tourism effort.
    — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Most videos across the network were titled with the name of a Democratic politician, followed by an all-caps verb highlighting a negative economic story, a recent scandal, or alleged corruption.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of highlight
Noun
  • The strain between city and club began in 2022, when a land deal between two parties for the Angels to purchase the stadium and surrounding property fell through amid a scandal.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Riyadh has been pressing businesses that serve the kingdom from the UAE to move to the kingdom, and strains between the two countries have surfaced in border delays and refused visas.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of strain
Noun
  • Looking at the market reaction, because the meeting minutes reaffirmed the Fed's heightened focus on the inflation side of its dual mandate, markets slightly raised rate hike expectations following the release overnight.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Now his focus is on following in his parents’ footsteps working with the Children’s Institute, an organization that supports children and families.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of focus
Verb
  • The look also pulls from indie sleaze, which Trendalytics reports is up 80% in social buzz, reinforcing the messy, early-2000s finish that defines the trend.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Both formulas pair moisture-drawing glycerin with pea peptide and a trio of ceramides to condition and reinforce dry, stressed hair.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of reinforce

Browse Nearby Words

strenuously
stress
stressed
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Cite this Entry

“Stress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stress. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stress

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stress

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