stress meaning and definition

STRESS noun

Definition of stress (noun)

1. the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)
   • "he put the stress on the wrong syllable"
   • synonyms: accent, emphasis
2. (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
   • "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"
   • synonyms: tenseness, tension
3. special emphasis attached to something
   • "the stress was more on accuracy than on speed"
   • synonyms: focus
4. difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension
   • "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
   • synonyms: strain
5. (physics) force that produces strain on a physical body
   • "the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided by units of area"

STRESS verb

Definition of stress (verb)

1. to stress, single out as important
   • "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet"
   • synonyms: accent, accentuate, emphasise, emphasize, punctuate
2. put stress on; utter with an accent
   • "In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word"
   • synonyms: accent, accentuate
3. test the limits of
   • "You are trying my patience!"
   • synonyms: strain, try