stress

[stres]
noun
1.
importance attached to a thing: to lay stress upon good manners. Synonyms: significance, meaning, emphasis, consequence; weight, value, worth.
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.
a.
the action on a body of any system of balanced forces whereby strain or deformation results.
b.
the amount of stress, usually measured in pounds per square inch or in pascals.
c.
a load, force, or system of forces producing a strain.
d.
the internal resistance or reaction of an elastic body to the external forces applied to it.
e.
the ratio of force to area.
See also strain1 ( def 23 ), shear ( def 19 ), torsion ( def 3 ).
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: anxiety, burden, pressure, oppression; effort, exertion, struggle, strain.
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)
11.
to lay stress on; emphasize.
12.
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 ).
13.
to subject to stress or strain.
14.
Mechanics. to subject to stress.
00:10
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an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
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verb (used without object)
15.
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:
1275–1325; (noun) Middle English stresse, aphetic variant of distresse distress; (v.) derivative of the noun

Related forms
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

Can be confused: accent, stress.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
stress (strɛs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
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
 a.  force or a system of forces producing deformation or strain
 b.  the force acting per unit area
 
—vb
7.  (tr) to give emphasis or prominence to
8.  (tr) to pronounce (a word or syllable) more loudly than those that surround it
9.  (tr) to subject to stress or strain
10.  informal (intr) to become stressed or anxious
 
[C14: stresse, shortened from distress]
 
'stressful
 
—adj
 
'stressfully
 
—adv
 
'stressfulness
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

stress
c.1300, "hardship, adversity, force, pressure," in part a shortening of M.Fr. destresse (see distress), in part from O.Fr. estrece "narrowness, oppression," from V.L. *strictia, from L. strictus "compressed," pp. of stringere "draw tight" (see
strain (v.)). The purely psychological sense is attested from 1942.

stress
c.1300, "to subject (someone) to force or compulsion," from the source of stress (n.). The fig. meaning "put emphasis on" is first recorded 1896, from notion of laying pressure on something by relying on it.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

stress (strěs)
n.

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

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

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

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
stress   (strěs)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. 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.

    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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

stress definition


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

stress definition


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.

Note: 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.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

stress definition


  1. in.
    to suffer annoyance; to experience stress. : Clare finds that she is stressing more and more about little things.
  2. tv.
    to annoy or bother someone. (See also stressed.) : Don't stress Willy! He's had a hard day.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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stressed definition


  1. mod.
    upset; annoyed. : Come on, man, don't get stressed! It's only a gag.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
He stressed that he doesn't see the fellowship as an investment and isn't
  looking to profit from the student ideas.
Still, he stressed in an interview, the lack of benefit over placebo does not
  mean that depression therapies are pointless.
Now before you stress out about being stressed out, take a deep breath and keep
  reading.
They both stressed the importance of education and giving back.
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