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• stress test
  stress test

  noun

  a test, especially one conducted in a laboratory, to determine how much pressure, tension, wear, or the like a given product or material can withstand.
• stress-test
  stress-test

  verb (used with object)

  to subject to a stress test.

stress test

¹ American  

noun

1. a test, especially one conducted in a laboratory, to determine how much pressure, tension, wear, or the like a given product or material can withstand.

2. Medicine/Medical. a test of cardiovascular health made by recording heart rate, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and other parameters while a person undergoes physical exertion.

3. a simulation test to determine how a given institution, system, etc., would perform under greater than usual stresses or pressures.

   the government’s stress test for big banks;

   mandatory stress tests for nuclear plants;

   a website stress test that simulates peak traffic.

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stress-test ² American  

[stres-test] / ˈstrɛsˌtɛst /

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to a stress test.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stress-testing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of stress test

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The implication of the research is this: If you’re planning to retire at 65 or 67, it may be time to go back to the drawing board and stress test your plan.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

At best, they should be viewed as a stress test that our justice system has only partially passed.

From Slate • May 1, 2026

March unfolded like a stress test for U.S. counterterrorism authorities.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

“We just put EMs through a severe stress test and they came out OK.”

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

When he insisted she have a stress test first, a receptionist gave her the first available appointment— seven weeks away.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times