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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

• stress-testing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of stress test

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stress test stress-test

As Americans marked the 250th anniversary of independence, the nation’s largest planned celebration unfolded less like a unified commemoration and more like a stress test — of weather, logistics and competing visions of patriotism.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

The Fed’s stress test results will not immediately impact banks’ capital requirements, with 2025 SCBs used instead.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

If you’re a high earner, stress test for a 10% to 15% reduction in expected lifetime Social Security benefits compared with current projections.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026

The stress test assumed crude-oil prices would remain at $100 a barrel for a three-year period, fueling inflation and an increase in interest rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

When the stress test was finally done, Dr. Swingle said the results showed she was not well enough to return to fulltime work.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

But heatwaves are a "stress-test" for women's cardiovascular systems, and hit them harder than men, Dr Nighat Arif, an NHS GP who specialises in women's health, told the BBC.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

The company expects to deploy 20 Starlink simulators during the mission, and stress-test tiles designed to protect the craft as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere from space.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

The people who will thrive alongside AI aren’t the ones who surrender to it most efficiently, they’re the ones who use it to stress-test their thinking and expand their cognitive range.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

This is the time to stress-test your retirement, based on your estimated expenses.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026

It’s important to stress-test your financial plan and projections to make sure you can withstand years when the stock market is flat or down, Downing said.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 9, 2026