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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 moves came a day after the Federal Reserve released its annual bank stress test results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

It would be folly to assume your 10%-15% annual return will continue indefinitely; assume a more conservative return of 5%-7% a year, especially if you wish to stress test your finances.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

"Like many other institutions, the Fed has been undergoing a stress test," he said as he accepted an award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

As one senior Morgan Stanley executive put it, “The risk officers came back from the stress test looking very upset.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Some medical researchers let AI models take the lead alongside human lab workers to gather information, stress-test hypotheses, interpret data and spit out plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

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

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

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026

After you stress-test your finances, decide whether you keep working until you’re 65.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026

Tech shares have struggled in recent weeks after a strong rally as investors stress-test their belief that AI and data-center investments will yield growing profits across markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025