stress Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)
    accent; emphasis.
    • he put the stress on the wrong syllable
  2. noun (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
    tension; tenseness.
    • he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension
    • stress is a vasoconstrictor
  3. noun special emphasis attached to something
    focus.
    • the stress was more on accuracy than on speed
  4. noun difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension
    strain.
    • she endured the stresses and strains of life
    • he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson
  5. noun (physics) force that produces strain on a physical body
    • the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided by units of area
  6. verb to stress, single out as important
    emphasise; accent; punctuate; accentuate; emphasize.
    • Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet
  7. verb put stress on; utter with an accent
    accentuate; accent.
    • In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word
  8. verb test the limits of
    try; strain.
    • You are trying my patience!

WordNet

Stress noun
Etymology
Abbrev. fr. distress; or cf. OF. estrecier to press, pinch, (assumed) LL. strictiare, fr. L. strictus. See Distress.
Definitions
  1. Distress. Obs.
    Sad hersal of his heavy stress. Spenser.
  2. Pressure, strain; -- used chiefly of immaterial things; except in mechanics; hence, urgency; importance; weight; significance.
    The faculties of the mind are improved by exercise, yet they must not be put to a stress beyond their strength. Locke.
    A body may as well lay too little as too much stress upon a dream. L'Estrange.
  3. (Mech. & Physics) The force, or combination of forces, which produces a strain; force exerted in any direction or manner between contiguous bodies, or parts of bodies, and taking specific names according to its direction, or mode of action, as thrust or pressure, pull or tension, shear or tangential stress. Rankine.
    Stress is the mutual action between portions of matter. Clerk Maxwell.
  4. (Pron.) Force of utterance expended upon words or syllables. Stress is in English the chief element in accent and is one of the most important in emphasis. See Guide to pronunciation, §§ 31-35.
  5. (Scots Law) Distress; the act of distraining; also, the thing distrained.
Stress transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To press; to urge; to distress; to put to difficulties. R. Spenser.
  2. To subject to stress, pressure, or strain.

Webster 1913