# stress

/ˈstɹɛs/ (US) · /stɹˈɛs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stress
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. emotional pressure

noun · CEFR A2

a feeling of being very worried or nervous because of problems in your life.

For teachers: a state of mental or emotional strain resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.

- He is under a lot of stress at work because of the new project.
- Chronic stress can lead to significant long-term health complications if the individual does not find effective coping mechanisms for their demanding workload.

### 2. physical force

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

physical force or pressure put on an object.

For teachers: the internal distribution of force per unit area within a body, often leading to strain or deformation.

- The bridge collapsed because the heavy trucks put too much stress on the metal.
- Engineers must calculate the maximum stress the support beams can endure before the structural integrity of the skyscraper is compromised.

### 3. importance or emphasis

noun · CEFR B1 · Academic

special importance or attention given to something.

For teachers: the emphasis or weight placed on a particular point, argument, or aspect of a discussion.

- The school puts a lot of stress on learning through play.
- The report places particular stress on the need for immediate investment in renewable energy infrastructure to meet climate targets.

### 4. word emphasis

noun · CEFR B1

the extra force you use when saying a particular syllable or word.

For teachers: the relative prominence of a syllable or word in speech, typically achieved through loudness, pitch, or duration.

- In the word 'banana', the stress is on the second syllable.
- Learners often struggle with lexical stress patterns in English, where shifting the emphasis from the first to the second syllable can transform a noun into a verb.

Usage: In English, changing the stress can sometimes change the meaning of a word.

### 5. to emphasize

verb · CEFR B1

to give special importance to something when you are talking or writing.

For teachers: to emphasize a particular fact, idea, or detail to ensure it is understood as important.

- I must stress that this information is strictly private.
- The CEO chose to stress the importance of ethical conduct during her annual address to the shareholders.

### 6. to worry

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to feel very worried or to make someone else feel worried.

For teachers: to experience or cause someone to experience mental or emotional strain.

- Don't stress about the exam; you have studied very hard.
- She tended to stress over minor administrative details, which often distracted her from the more significant strategic goals of the department.

Usage: Often used as 'stress out' or as an intransitive verb meaning to worry.

## Examples

- I feel a lot of stress before a big exam.
- The doctor explained that high levels of work stress can lead to physical health problems like headaches.
- Engineers must calculate the maximum stress a bridge can withstand before the structural integrity of the steel beams is compromised by the weight of the traffic.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.