stress

[ stres ]

/ strɛs /

noun

importance attached to a thing: to lay stress upon good manners.

Phonetics. emphasis in the form of prominent relative loudness of a syllable or a word as a result of special effort in utterance.

Prosody. accent or emphasis on syllables in a metrical pattern; beat.

emphasis in melody, rhythm, etc.; beat.

the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain.

Mechanics.

the action on a body of any system of balanced forces whereby strain or deformation results.
the amount of stress, usually measured in pounds per square inch or in pascals.
a load, force, or system of forces producing a strain.
the internal resistance or reaction of an elastic body to the external forces applied to it.
the ratio of force to area.

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.

physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension: Worry over his job and his wife's health put him under a great stress.

a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this: The stress of being trapped in the elevator gave him a pounding headache.

Archaic. strong or straining exertion.

verb (used with object)

to lay stress on; emphasize.

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).

to subject to stress or strain.

Mechanics. to subject to stress.

verb (used without object)

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.

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Origin of stress

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English stresse, aphetic variant of distresse distress; (v.) derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM stress

stress·less, adjectivestress·less·ness, nounan·ti·stress, adjectivede-stress, verb (used with object)

non·stress, nouno·ver·stressed, adjectivere·stress, verbun·der·stress, nounun·der·stress, verb (used with object)well-stressed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH stress

accent stress

Words nearby stress

streptonigrin, streptosepticemia, streptothricin, streptozocin, stresemann, stress, stress ball, stress fracture, stress mark, stress out, stress position

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for de-stress

So I was cheered to find the following booklet in my inbox last month: “ De-Stress Kit for the Changing Times.”
Heart-Focused Breathing, And Other Ways to Unwind|Gail Sheehy|December 28, 2008|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for de-stress (1 of 2)

de-stress

verb

to become or cause to become less stressed or anxious

British Dictionary definitions for de-stress (2 of 2)

stress

/ (strɛs) /

noun

special emphasis or significance attached to something

mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension

emphasis placed upon a syllable by pronouncing it more loudly than those that surround it

such emphasis as part of a regular rhythmic beat in music or poetry

a syllable so emphasized

physics

force or a system of forces producing deformation or strain
the force acting per unit area

verb

(tr) to give emphasis or prominence to

(tr) to pronounce (a word or syllable) more loudly than those that surround it

(tr) to subject to stress or strain

informal (intr) to become stressed or anxious

Derived forms of stress

stressful, adjectivestressfully, adverbstressfulness, noun

Word Origin for stress

C14: stresse, shortened from distress

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for de-stress

stress

[ strĕs ]

n.

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

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

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

Scientific definitions for de-stress

stress

[ strĕs ]

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.

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.
The stimulus or circumstance causing such a reaction.

Cultural definitions for de-stress (1 of 2)

stress

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

Cultural definitions for de-stress (2 of 2)

stress

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.

notes for stress

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.”