Dictionary definition · stress
noun
- the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)"he put the stress on the wrong syllable"
- (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense"he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"
- special emphasis attached to something"the stress was more on accuracy than on speed"
- difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension"she endured the stresses and strains of life"
- (physics) force that produces strain on a physical body"the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided by units of area"
verb
- to stress, single out as important"Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet"
- put stress on; utter with an accent"In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word"
- test the limits of"You are trying my patience!"
- to suffer from stress
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).