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stress
1[ stres ]
noun
- importance attached to a thing:
to lay stress upon good manners.
Synonyms: , , , , , ,
- Phonetics. emphasis in the form of prominent relative loudness of a syllable or a word as a result of special effort in utterance.
- Prosody. accent or emphasis on syllables in a metrical pattern; beat.
- emphasis in melody, rhythm, etc.; beat.
- the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain.
- the action on a body of any system of balanced forces whereby strain or deformation results.
- the amount of stress, usually measured in pounds per square inch or in pascals.
- a load, force, or system of forces producing a strain.
- the internal resistance or reaction of an elastic body to the external forces applied to it.
- the ratio of force to area.
- Physiology. a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.
- physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension:
Worry over his job and his wife's health put him under a great stress.
Synonyms: , , , , , , ,
- a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this:
The stress of being trapped in the elevator gave him a pounding headache.
- Archaic. strong or straining exertion.
verb (used with object)
- to lay stress on; emphasize.
- Phonetics. to pronounce (a syllable or a word) with prominent loudness: Compare accent ( def 18 ).
Stress the first syllable of “runner.” Stress the second word in “put up with.”
- to subject to stress or strain.
- Mechanics. to subject to stress.
verb (used without object)
- to experience stress or worry:
Don't stress about the turkey; I promise it will be delicious.
Dad is always stressing out over his job.
-stress
2- a feminine equivalent of -ster:
seamstress; songstress.
stress
1/ ٰɛ /
noun
- special emphasis or significance attached to something
- mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension
- emphasis placed upon a syllable by pronouncing it more loudly than those that surround it
- such emphasis as part of a regular rhythmic beat in music or poetry
- a syllable so emphasized
- physics
- force or a system of forces producing deformation or strain
- the force acting per unit area
verb
- tr to give emphasis or prominence to
- tr to pronounce (a word or syllable) more loudly than those that surround it
- tr to subject to stress or strain
- informal.intr to become stressed or anxious
-stress
2suffix forming nouns
- indicating a woman who performs or is engaged in a certain activity Compare -ster
seamstress
songstress
stress
- The force per unit area applied to an object. Objects subject to stress tend to become distorted or deformed.
- A physiologic reaction by an organism to an uncomfortable or unfamiliar physical or psychological stimulus. Biological changes result from stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, including a heightened state of alertness, anxiety, increased heart rate, and sweating.
- The stimulus or circumstance causing such a reaction.
Notes
Derived Forms
- ˈٰڳܱ, adjective
- ˈٰڳܱly, adverb
- ˈٰڳܱness, noun
Other Word Forms
- ٰl adjective
- ٰl·ness noun
- t·ٰ adjective
- -ٰ verb (used with object)
- ԴDz·ٰ noun
- v·ٰ adjective
- ·ٰ verb
- ܲd·ٰ noun
- ܲd·ٰ verb (used with object)
- ɱ-ٰ adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of stress1
Origin of stress2
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Related Words
Words That Use -Stress
does -stress mean?
The form -stress is a suffix that marks a feminine agent noun, which indicates a person who does an action. This suffix is occasionally used in a variety of informal terms, but it has lost popularity in recent years. Increasingly, -stress is seen as an unnecessarily gendered suffix for forming agent nouns because it identifies the “doer” as female.
The suffix -stress is a combination of two similar suffixes: Old English -estre, which marked female agent nouns, and Old French -esse (see -ess), a common feminine ending for nouns.
are variants of -stress?
When agent nouns ending in -stress are used to refer to a masculine- or neutral-gendered element, -stress becomes -ster, as in seamster (a male seamstress).
Want to know more? Read our Words That Use -ster article.
Examples of -stress
A term that features the suffix -stress is songstress, “a female singer, especially one who specializes in popular songs.”
The song- part of the word here refers to the tunes that are sung. The suffix -stress denotes a female agent, or “doer,” and songstress therefore literally means “female singer of songs.”
are some words that use the suffix -stress?
are some other forms that -stress may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that ends with the letters -stress is necessarily using the suffix -stress to denote a female agent noun. Some words that end with -stress, such as mistress, are still reserved (though not without due criticism) for women. However, other words, such as distress and its derivative stress, share the letters -stress purely as a coincidence.
Break it down!
A seamster is a person whose occupation is sewing. Given what you know about the meaning of -stress, what is a seamstress?
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