26984 words

stress

20 definitions • 50 examples
1
great worry caused by a difficult situation, or something that causes this condition:

Examples:

under stress People under a lot of stress may experience headaches, minor pains, and sleeping difficulties.
combat stress Yoga is a very effective technique for combating stress.
stress and strain How do you recover from the stresses and strains of the day?
stress-related Massage therapy is good for all stress-related conditions.
2
a difficult situation caused by too much being needed or expected from a system, resource, etc. :

Examples:

stress on The city is finding it hard to cope with stress on its housing supply.
Adding 32 million people is going to put stresses on all of our systems.
under stress Emergency food supplies are under stress as a result of widespread famine and war.
3
the way that a word or syllable is pronounced with greater force than other words in the same sentence or other syllables in the same word:

Examples:

The meaning of a sentence often depends on stress and intonation.
stress is on When "insert" is a verb, the stress is on the second syllable, but when it is a noun, the stress is on the first syllable.
4
a force that acts in a way that often changes the shape of an object:

Examples:

Computers work out the stresses that such a craft will encounter in flight.
put stress on Jogging puts a lot of stress on your knee joints.
5

Examples:

lay stress on During his speech, he laid particular stress on the freedom of the press.
6
to give emphasis or special importance to something:

Examples:

[ + (that) ] He is careful to stress (that) the laboratory's safety standards are the best in the country.
stress the importance of I'd just like to stress the importance of neatness and politeness in this job.
7
to pronounce a word or syllable with greater force than other words in the same sentence or other syllables in the same word, or to play a musical note with greater force than others in a group:

Examples:

In the word "engine" you should stress the first syllable.
8
to feel worried and nervous:

Examples:

Don't stress over it - we'll soon get it sorted out.
9
to make a system, resource, etc. experience difficulties by needing or expecting too much from it:

Examples:

You can only stress the system so much before it starts to break down.
10
worry caused by a difficult situation, or something that causes this condition:

Examples:

[ U ] Luis is under a lot of stress right now.
[ C ] It’s hard to cope with the stresses of raising a family.
11
a force that tends to change the shape or strength of an object:

Examples:

[ U ] If a metal object experiences constant stress, it may bend or break.
12
the pronouncing of a word or syllable with greater force than other words in the same sentence or other syllables in the same word:

Examples:

[ C ] The main stress in the word "command" is on the second syllable.
13
special importance or emphasis that is given to something:

Examples:

There’s constant stress on status in this community.
14
to give special importance or emphasis to something:

Examples:

I’d like to stress the differences between our opinions.
15
to pronounce a word or syllable with greater force than other words in the same sentence or other syllables in the same word:

Examples:

In the word "engine," you should stress the first syllable.
16
a feeling of worry and unhappiness because you have too much work or too many problems to deal with:

Examples:

Successful managers need to be able to make tough decisions under stress.
She was off work for four weeks with a stress-related illness.
More women are now working full-time, with all the stresses and strains that brings.
Workplace culture is an important factor in levels of stress.
work/workplace/occupational stress
cope with/deal with/handle stress Firms need to find ways of helping executives deal with stress.
experience/suffer from stress According to the survey, over half a million workers believed they suffered from stress.
reduce/relieve/ease stress Flexible work policies can reduce stress.
be under stress People who are under stress are more likely to have accidents at work.
cause (sb) stress Delays in payment cause stress and financial hardship.
a cause/source of stress Work is the third most frequent cause of stress.
take the stress out of sth Satellite-navigation systems take the stress out of driving.
17

Examples:

financial/fiscal stress
be under stress Many of our businesses are under stress right now because of the slow economy.
stress(es) on sth Disappointing figures have once again highlighted stresses on the public finances.
place/put/reduce stress on sth A new transmission line would reduce stress on electricity systems across the mid-Atlantic region.
18
if an official speech or report places, lays, or puts stress on something, it emphasizes it:

Examples:

We should develop a more dynamic conception of equality, placing more stress on opportunity.
19
to emphasize something:

Examples:

We want to stress how careful we are when assessing credit risk.
It is important to stress that economic and social cohesion is a political priority of the European Union.
With the growth of the Internet, I cannot stress how important it is for new businesses to act fast in registering trademarks.
The report stressed that by proactively dealing with climate-change issues, companies can earn a voice in planning policy.
stress the importance/need The group has spent much of its time stressing the need for debt relief for Africa.
be keen/at pains/quick to stress After the budget, the Chancellor was keen to stress how the average earner with two children will be better off.
20
to become very worried or unhappy because you have too much work or too many problems to deal with:

Examples:

Try not to stress too much about things.

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