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

“If the current stress test ends in two to three weeks, the economy should continue to grow, and so should corporate earnings,” reads a note from Yardeni Research published shortly after Trump’s speech.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

And any questions — ahem, mine — about how the barely-battled-tested boogie-down Bruins respond to a significant stress test were answered.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Conflict in the Middle East is delivering global energy markets their most serious stress test since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 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