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

These prom captions for Instagram will remove any post-prom posting stress. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024

Because fat is more abundant than carbohydrates in the body, the body responds to the cellular stress that exercise causes in muscle cells by increasing the number of mitochondria, or the energy-producing component of cells. —Jason Sawyer, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024

Storage systems take solar power generated during the day and discharge the electricity later, especially from 4 to 9 p.m. when California’s grid is under the most stress. —Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024

Pettitt’s mother, Winnie Rushby, worked full time and would then have to start on the laundry, a vision of obligated stress. —Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024

The State of Employee Financial Well-Being As shared through Morgan Stanley and PWC research, financial stress can significantly impact employees' productivity, engagement, and overall health. —Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Science is still catching up to some of the bigger claims made by the cold plunge community, but anecdotally, thousands of people turn to freezing water as a boost for the immune system, an answer to chronic inflammation, an antidote to anxiety and depression and a manager for stress. —Variety Staff, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024

Advocates tout cannabis as an alternative relief for veterans with pain from wounds or post-traumatic stress disorder, but the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits its distribution because it’s still classified by the federal government as a Schedule 1 drug with no accepted medical use. —Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024

Related article 5 ways to reduce your stress this year Exercise is not only a good stress reducer but has also been shown to be a potent aid in quitting smoking, Freeman added. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024

Verb

White and Lightfoot, represented by activist attorneys, took the case to trial, stressing its importance not just to them, but to protesters against fascism across the country. —Will Carless, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

Their premature appearance mid-beach season only served to stress out parents like me, who were attempting to block out all thoughts of notebooks and glue sticks for at least another few weeks. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 2 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, officials continue to stress that the milk supply is safe. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

When stressed, some people might reach for a doughnut. —Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024

One man emerging from a Tokyo theater March 29 said the movie was great, stressing that the topic was of great interest to Japanese, although emotionally volatile as well. —Yuri Kageyama, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2024

Brame stressed the importance of public participation and urged anyone who sees unusual behavior to report it to the hotline at 1-844-4SAWFISH (1-844-472-9347) or [e-mail]. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2024

Throughout the tournament, many have criticized Caitlin Clark for her intense behaviors on the court and towards the referees, stressing that her challenging of the officiating is disappointing. —Lindsey Darvin, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Dewar stressed the importance of people being able to easily access the HOPE program, which can reduce or eliminate the current year's property taxes for those who are eligible. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 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

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