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June 03, 2020 Word of the Day

stress /ˈstrɛs/ noun
stress
/ˈstrɛs/
noun
Stress can be bad for your health.
Stress can be bad for your health.
Definition of STRESS

1 a [noncount] : a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.

  • She uses meditation as a way of reducing/relieving stress.

  • Hormones are released into the body in response to emotional stress.

  • He needs help with stress management. [=ways to deal with stress]

1 b : something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety

[noncount]

  • I'm sorry for being grumpy. I've been under (a lot of) stress at work lately.

[count]

  • She is dealing with the stresses of working full-time and going to school.

  • He talked about the stresses and strains of owning a business.

2 : physical force or pressure

[noncount]

  • Carrying a heavy backpack around all day puts a lot of stress on your shoulders and back.

  • To reduce the amount of stress on your back, bend your knees when you lift something heavy.

  • The ship's mast snapped under the stress of high winds.

[count]

  • measuring the effects of stresses on the material

3 [noncount] : special importance or attention that is given to something

  • The teacher laid/put stress on [=emphasized] the need for good study habits.

4 : greater loudness or force given to a syllable of a word in speech or to a beat in music

[noncount]

  • Stress falls on the first syllable of the word “language.”

[count]

  • Stresses fall on different beats in different parts of the song.

  • The stress [=accent] is on the first syllable.

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