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.

---

stress-test ² American  

[stres-test] / ˈstrɛsˌtɛst /

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to a stress test.

---

Other Word Forms

• stress-testing noun

Etymology

Origin of stress test

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

It was a stress test — and it revealed that even safe assets can become unstable when everyone relies on them at once.

From MarketWatch

The widespread cancellations will be the first major stress test for airlines since the U.S.

From MarketWatch

The weekend’s arctic blast has put much of the U.S. grid through a stress test and served as another alert about the growing risks to electric-power reliability.

From The Wall Street Journal

The moves came after the government loosened the banks’ capital requirements following the Fed’s 2025 stress tests, which the banks sailed through.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, they will boast sustainable economics, regulatory compliance and balance sheets strong enough to survive the stress tests ahead.

From MarketWatch