stress
Pluralstresses (some meanings)
Verbstresses, stressing, stressed
Pluralstresses (some meanings)
Formsstresses, stressing, stressed
- 1Worry and pressure felt in the mind when life feels too hard.
Like a heavy weight pressing down on your mind.
Too much stress can make it hard to sleep at night.
She felt a lot of stress before her big exam.
UsageSay a lot of stress or under stress (not
incorrect: a stress).Similarstrain, pressure, tension, anxiety, distress
Oppositerelaxation, ease, peace
Note
- 2To say that a point or idea is very important.
Like saying a word louder so people remember it.
I want to stress one important rule before we start.
The coach stressed the need for teamwork.
UsageSay stress that something is true, or stress a point: stress the need for teamwork.
Similaremphasize, underline, underscore, highlight
Oppositedownplay, minimize, understate, underplay
- 3
- 4Something that puts a living thing under strain and makes it respond, such as heat, drought, or infection.
Like pushing on a spring that keeps trying to bounce back.
Heat and drought put stress on the young plants.
Lack of water puts plants under stress, so their leaves start to droop.
- 5How much inside force pushes across each small area within an object.
Like the squeeze you feel inside when something presses on you.
The stress inside the beam grows as you add more weight.
Engineers measure the stress at each point in the metal.
UsageNot the same as strain: stress is the force inside, strain is the bending or stretching it causes.
Note
- 6A force pushing or pulling on an object from the outside.
Like the push of your hand pressing down on a tabletop.
Hanging the heavy mirror put too much stress on the old hooks.
Strong wind can be a serious stress on tall buildings.
UsageSay put stress on something: too much stress on the hooks.
Note
- 7To make a person or animal feel worried or upset.
Like poking an animal again and again until it gets upset.
Big crowds can stress young children.
The long wait stressed everyone in the waiting room.
UsagePeople often say stress someone out, or I'm stressed.
- 8The extra force you give to one part of a word, or one word, when you say it.
Like shining a small light on one part of a word.
In English, word stress can change what a word means.
The first syllable carries the stress in the word 'happy.'
UsageSay the stress is on or falls on a syllable.
Note
Less common meanings
- 9To say part of a word, or a word, more strongly than the rest.
Like hitting one beat of a drum louder than the others.
Most people stress the first part of the word 'present' when it names a gift.
She stressed the wrong syllable and the word sounded strange.
UsageSay a word is stressed on a syllable: stressed on the first part.
Note
- 10Extra attention given to a point to show that it matters.
Like underlining a word to show it matters most.
He put a lot of stress on being honest.
The teacher put great stress on checking our work.
UsageSay put stress on something that matters.
Similaremphasis, weight, importance, insistence
- 11
- 12Obsolete form of distress. You will only find it in very old writing.
With this sad Hersal of his heavy stress, The warlike Damzel was empassion's sore, And said; Sir Knight, your Cause is nothing less Than is your Sorrow , certes if not more
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, stress means distress, deep trouble or sorrow.Note
- 13The act of taking someone's property to force payment of a debt, or the property taken.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of stress apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
This word came into Middle English through Old French from Latin. One form meant 'to stretch out' and another meant 'narrow'. The meaning of 'mental strain' was used by scientists in the 1920s and 1930s and became popular in the 1950s.