stress

stress1 [ stres ] noun ***

1. ) uncount a worried or nervous feeling that stops you relaxing, caused, for example, by pressure at work or financial or personal problems:

overworked managers suffering from stress and anxiety

under stress: You'll have to excuse him; he's been under a lot of stress lately.

stress-related: the increase in stress-related illnesses

a ) only before noun relating to stress:

stress management (=dealing effectively with stress): The class teaches some basic techniques of stress management.

b ) count a situation that makes you feel stress:

The beautiful gardens offer a refuge from the stresses of daily life.

2. ) uncount special importance given to something so that you pay more attention to it: EMPHASIS:

lay/put/place stress on something: The course lays great stress on the importance of oral communication.

3. ) count or uncount physical pressure put on something that can make it change its shape or break:

stress on: Judo puts a lot of stress on your knee joints.

4. ) count or uncount the emphasis you put on a particular word or SYLLABLE (=part of a word) by pronouncing it more loudly or with greater force than other words or syllables:

the stress falls on something (=is put on something): In fatigue the stress falls on the second syllable.

a ) the emphasis you put on a particular musical note or sound by playing or singing it more loudly or with greater force than other notes or sounds

─ compare INTONATION

stress

stress 2 [ stres ] verb transitive ***

1. ) to emphasize something such as an idea, fact, or detail:

The president has repeatedly stressed the importance of controlling inflation.

stress that: He stressed that this would be a temporary appointment.

2. ) to pronounce a particular word or SYLLABLE (=part of a word) more loudly or with greater force than other words or syllables:

The noun desert is stressed on the first syllable.