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

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

There wasn’t a wholesale exodus, but it was a stress test at the edges.

From Barron's

For large U.S. banks, the Federal Reserve’s annual stress tests are used by the regulator to set minimum capital ratios.

From MarketWatch

Larger banks also face stress tests and other burdensome regulations that smaller banks don’t.

From The Wall Street Journal