First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1stress
noun \ˈstres\
: a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.
: something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety
: physical force or pressure
Full Definition of STRESS
1
: constraining force or influence: 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>
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 6a
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Origin of STRESS
Middle English stresse stress, distress, short for destresse — more at distress
Related to STRESS
- Antonyms
- de-emphasis
Other Psychology Terms
2stress
verb
: to give special attention to (something)
: to pronounce (a syllable or word) in a louder or more forceful way than other syllables or words
: to feel very worried or anxious about something : to feel stress
Full Definition of STRESS
transitive verb1
: 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
See stress defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of STRESS
1545
STRESS Defined for Kids
1stress
noun \ˈstres\
Definition of STRESS for Kids
1
: a force that tends to change the shape of an object
2
: something that causes physical or emotional tension : a state of tension resulting from a stress <She felt the stress of working two jobs.>
3
: special importance given to something <The speaker laid stress on a particular point.>
4
: relative loudness or force of a part of a spoken word or a beat in music <“Finally” has the stress on the first syllable.>
2stress
verb
stressedstress·ing
Definition of STRESS for Kids
1
: to subject to excessive use or to forces that cause a change in shape <Hard use was stressing the equipment.>
2
: to cause or experience physical or emotional tension <All these changes are stressing me.>
3
: to pronounce (part of a word) with relative loudness or force <Stress the first syllable.>
4
: to give special importance to : emphasize <He stressed the need to save energy.>
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