stress

stress

I

stress¹ S3 W3 AC /stres/ noun1.  WORRY  [uncountable and countable] continuous feelings of worry about your work or personal life, that prevent you from relaxing ⇨ strain:
    Your headaches are due to stress.
    Janet’s been under a lot of stress since her mother’s illness.
    all the stresses of public life
    A lot of illnesses are stress-related.
2.  FORCE  [uncountable and countable] the physical force or pressure on an object:
    Shoes with high heels put a great deal of stress on knees and ankles.
3.  IMPORTANCE  [uncountable] the special attention or importance given to a particular idea, fact, or activity
   SYN  emphasis
    put/lay stress on something
    Pugh laid particular stress on the need for discipline.
4.  WORD/MUSIC  [uncountable and countable] the degree of force or loudness with which a part of a word is pronounced or a note in music is played, which makes it sound stronger than other parts or notes
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ suffer from stress If you are suffering from stress, you may be more likely to become ill.
   ▪ cause stress Moving house often causes stress.
   ▪ cope with/deal with stress People find different ways of dealing with stress.
   ▪ reduce/relieve stress Don’t resort to alcohol to relieve your stress.
■ adjectives
   ▪ great/considerable/enormous Staff experienced considerable stress as a result of the changes.
   ▪ mental/emotional stress It was a time of great emotional stress for me.
■ phrases
   ▪ be under stress She's been under a lot of stress lately.
   ▪ a cause of stress Balancing work and family is the main cause of stress for many people.
   ▪ signs/symptoms/effects of stress Headaches, migraines, and irritability are all signs of stress. | The effects of stress are subtle and sometimes difficult to see.
   ▪ sb’s stress level (also sb’s level of stress) Exercise reduces stress levels.
   ▪ stresses and strains (=a lot of different worries that are caused by something) the stresses and strains of everyday life
   ▪ stress management Some patients may benefit from being taught stress management skills.
     

THESAURUS

■ the feeling of being worried
   ▪ worry the feeling of not being happy or relaxed and thinking a lot about a problem or something that is wrong: She was sick with worry over her daughter. | the look of worry on his face
   ▪ anxiety the feeling of being worried because you think that something bad has happened or will happen, and you feel that you have no control over the situation: The thought of having to give a speech filled me with anxiety. | The increase in heating costs is causing a lot of anxiety among elderly people.
   ▪ concern a worried feeling – use this especially when many people are worried about a problem that affects everyone: The shortage of water is beginning to cause widespread concern.
   ▪ stress the feeling of being worried all the time, for example about work or personal problems, which can make you ill or very tired: Her financial problems were causing her a lot of stress.
   ▪ anguish a feeling of extreme mental suffering caused by worry: How could her parents survive the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her? | When she spoke, her voice was full of anguish.
   ▪ angst a strong feeling of worry and anxiety because you are worried about your life, your future, or what you should do in a particular situation: The letter was full of teenage angst - would she ever be able to find another boyfriend? | There was much angst about the decision.

II

stress² S3 W3 AC verb [transitive]1. to emphasize a statement, fact, or idea
    stress that
    The report stressed that student math skills need to improve.
    Crawford stressed the need for more housing downtown.
    She stressed the importance of a balanced diet.
2. to pronounce a word or part of a word so that it sounds louder or more forceful:
    The word ‘machine’ is stressed on the second syllable.
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ nouns
   ▪ stress the importance of something He has always stressed the importance of a stable family.
   ▪ stress the need for something She stressed the need for more effective policing.
   ▪ stress a point This point needs to be stressed.
   ▪ stress a fact Medicines usually stress the fact that you must not exceed the stated dose.
   ▪ stress the role of somebody/something In her speech, she stressed the role of parents in preventing youth crime.
   ▪ stress your commitment to (doing) something The President stressed his commitment to tackling world poverty.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ emphasize to say strongly or show clearly that a fact, idea etc is especially important: Our company emphasizes the need for good communication between staff.
   ▪ stress to emphasize something when you are talking about a subject: Most schools stress the importance of parental involvement in their child’s learning. | He stressed the need for parents to listen to their children.
   ▪ highlight to show that something is important, so that people will pay special attention to it: This case highlights the need for tougher laws on gun ownership. | The report highlights the decline in the numbers of native plants and insects.
   ▪ underline/underscore to help to show clearly that a fact is true, especially a fact that is already known: These attacks underline the fact that the security situation here remains fragile. | The president’s speech repeatedly underscored the progress that has been made.
   ▪ accentuate to show something clearly and make it easier to notice: The recent economic crisis has accentuated the gap between the rich and the poor.
   ▪ overemphasize to emphasize something too much: The relation between food and health is often overemphasized in my view.
   ▪ play up to emphasize something and make it seem more important than it really is, especially to get advantages for yourself: The story has been played up by the media. | The Labour party had a great time playing up the Conservatives’ problems.
     
stress somebody out phrasal verb informal
  to make someone so worried or nervous that they cannot relax:
    Studying for exams always stresses me out.