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View synonyms for

stress

1

[stres]

noun

  1. importance attached to a thing.

    to lay stress upon good manners.

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

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

  4. emphasis in melody, rhythm, etc.; beat.

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

  6. Mechanics.

    1. the action on a body of any system of balanced forces whereby strain or deformation results.

    2. the amount of stress, usually measured in pounds per square inch or in pascals.

    3. a load, force, or system of forces producing a strain.

    4. the internal resistance or reaction of an elastic body to the external forces applied to it.

    5. the ratio of force to area.

  7. 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.

  8. physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension.

    Worry over his job and his wife's health put him under a great stress.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , ,
  9. a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this.

    The stress of being trapped in the elevator gave him a pounding headache.

  10. Archaic.strong or straining exertion.



verb (used with object)

  1. to lay stress on; emphasize.

  2. 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.”

  3. to subject to stress or strain.

  4. Mechanics.to subject to stress.

verb (used without object)

  1. 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.

-stress

2
  1. a feminine equivalent of -ster.

    seamstress; songstress.

stress

1

/ ٰɛ /

noun

  1. special emphasis or significance attached to something

  2. mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension

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

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

  5. a syllable so emphasized

  6. physics

    1. force or a system of forces producing deformation or strain

    2. the force acting per unit area

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to give emphasis or prominence to

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

  3. (tr) to subject to stress or strain

  4. informal(intr) to become stressed or anxious

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-stress

2

suffix

  1. indicating a woman who performs or is engaged in a certain activity Compare -ster

    songstress

    seamstress

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

stress

  1. The force per unit area applied to an object. Objects subject to stress tend to become distorted or deformed.

  2. Compare strain See also axial stress shear stress See more at Hooke's law

    1. 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.

    2. The stimulus or circumstance causing such a reaction.

stress

1
  1. In physics, the internal resistance of an object to an external force that tends to deform it.

stress

2
  1. 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.

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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.”
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Other Word Forms

  • stressless adjective
  • stresslessness noun
  • antistress adjective
  • de-stress verb (used with object)
  • nonstress noun
  • overstressed adjective
  • restress verb
  • understress verb (used with object)
  • well-stressed adjective
  • ˈٰڳܱ adjective
  • ˈٰڳܱly adverb
  • ˈٰڳܱness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of stress1

First recorded in 1275–1325; (noun) Middle English stresse, aphetic variant of distresse; (verb) derivative of the noun; distress

Origin of stress2

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Word History and Origins

Origin of stress1

C14: stresse, shortened from distress

Origin of stress2

from -st ( e ) r + -ess
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He is quick to stress the job is not a simple one, though, with "a lot of hard work" going into it.

From

Kamil says those extra nine weeks alleviated a lot of "stress" as his wife transitioned back into work after a year off on maternity leave.

From

"Parents of children with autism or neurodiverse children have stress levels proven to be that of a combat soldier."

From

Although he’s a citizen now, she said she can imagine the stress of keeping the business open while fearing deportation.

From

Bunch’s email to staff stressed that the organization has an imperative to remain nonpartisan.

From

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When To Use

does-stress mean?

The form -stress is a suffix that marks a feminine agent noun, which indicates a person who does an action. This suffix is occasionally used in a variety of informal terms, but it has lost popularity in recent years. Increasingly, -stress is seen as an unnecessarily gendered suffix for forming agent nouns because it identifies the "doer" as female.The suffix -stress is a combination of two similar suffixes: Old English -estre, which marked female agent nouns, and Old French -esse (see -ess), a common feminine ending for nouns. are variants of -stress?When agent nouns ending in -stress are used to refer to a masculine- or neutral-gendered element, -stress becomes -ster, as in seamster (a male seamstress).Want to know more? Read our Words That Use -ster article.

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Stresemannstress ball