stress

[ stres ]

/ strɛs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR stress ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

importance attached to a thing: to lay stress upon good manners.

Phonetics. emphasis in the form of prominent relative loudness of a syllable or a word as a result of special effort in utterance.

Prosody. accent or emphasis on syllables in a metrical pattern; beat.

emphasis in melody, rhythm, etc.; beat.

the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain.

Mechanics.

the action on a body of any system of balanced forces whereby strain or deformation results.
the amount of stress, usually measured in pounds per square inch or in pascals.
a load, force, or system of forces producing a strain.
the internal resistance or reaction of an elastic body to the external forces applied to it.
the ratio of force to area.

See also strain¹(def 23), shear(def 19), torsion(def 3).

Physiology. a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.

physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension: Worry over his job and his wife's health put him under a great stress.

a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this: The stress of being trapped in the elevator gave him a pounding headache.

Archaic. strong or straining exertion.

verb (used with object)

to lay stress on; emphasize.

Phonetics. to pronounce (a syllable or a word) with prominent loudness: Stress the first syllable of “runner.” Stress the second word in “put up with.” Compare accent(def 18).

to subject to stress or strain.

Mechanics. to subject to stress.

verb (used without object)

to experience stress or worry: Don't stress about the turkey; I promise it will be delicious. Dad is always stressing out over his job.

Origin of stress

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English stresse, aphetic variant of distresse distress; (v.) derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM stress

stress·less, adjective stress·less·ness, noun an·ti·stress, adjective de-stress, verb (used with object)

non·stress, noun o·ver·stressed, adjective re·stress, verb un·der·stress, noun un·der·stress, verb (used with object) well-stressed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH stress

accent stress

Words nearby stress

streptonigrin, streptosepticemia, streptothricin, streptozocin, stresemann, stress, stress ball, stress fracture, stress mark, stress out, stress position

Example sentences from the Web for stressing

And he denied that Tamarod had any contact with the Army, stressing again the success of its grassroots approach.

Mahmoud Badr Is the Young Face of the Anti-Morsi Movement |Mike Giglio |July 2, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
But the visit seems to be the latest in a series of moves aimed at stressing his reformist credentials.

Chinese Leader Xi Jinping's Symbolic Economic Tour |Duncan Hewitt |December 8, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Today, China's leaders are stressing stability and the status quo.

Gu Kailai’s Murder Trial Evokes Story of Mao’s Widow Jiang Qing |Melinda Liu |August 9, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Kohn makes no apologies for stressing the financial incentives.

The Whistleblowers’ How-To Guide |John Solomon |September 12, 2011 |DAILY BEAST

In this respect he admitted his own culpability while stressing his leadership credentials.

Cameron Buys Himself Time |Alex Massie |July 20, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
Roland shivered at the venom that was revealed by the stressing of the word "officially."

The Lonely Unicorn |Alec Waugh
I am stressing the point that I worked for $9 a day during all that, a $9 a day job.

Warren Commission (1 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15) |The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
In the issue it is justifiable to apprehend that the flexing and stressing of the cross-girders will be considerable.

The Anatomy of Bridgework |William Henry Thorpe
Briefly Mr. Holton told them, stressing the fact that the aviator had not waited to land.

Secrets of the Andes |James H. Foster
They then mentioned the uncut weeds along the front fence, stressing the danger of fire.

Dan Carter and the Haunted Castle |Mildred A. Wirt

British Dictionary definitions for stressing

stress

/ (strɛs) /

noun

special emphasis or significance attached to something

mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension

emphasis placed upon a syllable by pronouncing it more loudly than those that surround it

such emphasis as part of a regular rhythmic beat in music or poetry

a syllable so emphasized

physics

force or a system of forces producing deformation or strain
the force acting per unit area

verb

(tr) to give emphasis or prominence to

(tr) to pronounce (a word or syllable) more loudly than those that surround it

(tr) to subject to stress or strain

informal (intr) to become stressed or anxious

Derived forms of stress

stressful, adjective stressfully, adverb stressfulness, noun

Word Origin for stress

C14: stresse, shortened from distress

Medical definitions for stressing

stress

[ strĕs ]

n.

An applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body.

The resisting force set up in a body as a result of an externally applied force.

A physical or psychological stimulus that can produce mental tension or physiological reactions that may lead to illness.

Scientific definitions for stressing

stress

[ strĕs ]

The force per unit area applied to an object. Objects subject to stress tend to become distorted or deformed. Compare strain. See also axial stress shear stress. See more at Hooke's law.

A physiologic reaction by an organism to an uncomfortable or unfamiliar physical or psychological stimulus. Biological changes result from stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, including a heightened state of alertness, anxiety, increased heart rate, and sweating.
The stimulus or circumstance causing such a reaction.

Cultural definitions for stressing (1 of 2)

stress

In physics, the internal resistance of an object to an external force that tends to deform it.

Cultural definitions for stressing (2 of 2)

stress

A physical factor, such as injury, or mental state, such as anxiety, that disturbs the body's normal state of functioning. Stress may contribute to the development of some illnesses, including heart disease and cancer.

notes for stress

The term stress also refers to the physical and mental state produced in the body when it is influenced by such factors: “The stress of the new job was too much for Tim, so he requested reassignment to his old position in the company.”

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stress

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of stress

OTHER WORDS FROM stress

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH stress

Words nearby stress

Example sentences from the Web for stressing

British Dictionary definitions for stressing

noun

verb

Derived forms of stress

Word Origin for stress

Medical definitions for stressing

n.

Scientific definitions for stressing

Cultural definitions for stressing (1 of 2)

Cultural definitions for stressing (2 of 2)

notes for stress

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stress

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of stress

OTHER WORDS FROM stress

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH stress

Words nearby stress

Words related to stressing

Example sentences from the Web for stressing

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for stressing

noun

verb

Derived forms of stress

Word Origin for stress

Medical definitions for stressing

n.

Scientific definitions for stressing

Cultural definitions for stressing (1 of 2)

Cultural definitions for stressing (2 of 2)

notes for stress

British Dictionary definitions for stressing