1. importance attached to a thing: to lay stress upon good manners.
2. emphasis in the form of prominent relative loudness of a syllable or a word as a result of special effort in utterance.
3. accent or emphasis on syllables in a metrical pattern; beat.
4. emphasis in melody, rhythm, etc.; beat.
5. the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain.
6. Mechanics.
• 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.
7. 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.
8. physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension: Worry over his job and his wife's health put him under a great stress.
9. a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this: The stress of being trapped in the elevator gave him a pounding headache.
10. strong or straining exertion.

11. to lay stress on; emphasize.
12. to pronounce (a syllable or a word) with prominent loudness: Stress the first syllable of “runner.” Stress the second word in “put up with.”
13. to subject to stress or strain.
14. to subject to stress.

15. 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.

1. a feminine equivalent of -ster: seamstress; songstress.

1. special emphasis or significance attached to something
2. mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension
3. emphasis placed upon a syllable by pronouncing it more loudly than those that surround it
4. such emphasis as part of a regular rhythmic beat in music or poetry
5. a syllable so emphasized
6. physics
• force or a system of forces producing deformation or strain
• the force acting per unit area

7. to give emphasis or prominence to
8. to pronounce (a word or syllable) more loudly than those that surround it
9. to subject to stress or strain
10. to become stressed or anxious

1. indicating a woman who performs or is engaged in a certain activity

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