stressing

5 definitions • 6 examples

present participle of

to give emphasis or special importance to something:

[ + (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.

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:

In the word "engine" you should stress the first syllable.

to feel worried and nervous:

Don't stress over it - we'll soon get it sorted out.

to make a system, resource, etc. experience difficulties by needing or expecting too much from it:

You can only stress the system so much before it starts to break down.

Rural landscapes, stressed by drought, are turning brown.