stress

noun

OPAL WOPAL S

/stres/

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mental pressure

[uncountable, countable] pressure or worry caused by the problems in somebody’s life

emotional/mental stress
to suffer from stress
to relieve/reduce/alleviate stress
under stress Things can easily go wrong when people are under stress.
The incident has caused enormous stress and anxiety to my family.
She failed to withstand the stresses and strains of public life.
stress-related illnesses
stress management (= dealing with stress)
The release of the stress hormone cortisol is part of the human stress response.
Stress is often a factor in the development of long-term sickness.

Collocations Diet and exerciseDiet and exerciseWeight

put on/gain/lose weight/a few kilos/a few pounds
watch/control/struggle with your weight
be/become seriously overweight/underweight
be/become clinically/morbidly obese
achieve/facilitate/promote/stimulate weight loss
slim down to 70 kilos/(British English) 11 stone/(especially North American English) 160 pounds
combat/prevent/tackle/treat obesity
develop/have/suffer from/struggle with/recover from anorexia/bulimia/an eating disorder
be on/go on/follow a crash/strict diet
have/suffer from a negative/poor body image
have/develop a positive/healthy body image

Healthy eating

eat a balanced diet/healthily/sensibly
get/provide/receive adequate/proper nutrition
contain/get/provide essential nutrients/vitamins/minerals
be high/low in calories/fat/fibre/protein/vitamin D/Omega-3 fatty acids
contain (no)/use/be full of/be free from additives/chemical preservatives/artificial sweeteners
avoid/cut down on/cut out alcohol/caffeine/fatty foods
stop/give up/ (especially North American English) quit smoking

Exercise

(British English) take regular exercise
do moderate/strenuous/vigorous exercise
play football/hockey/tennis
go cycling/jogging/running
go to/visit/ (especially North American English) hit/work out at the gym
strengthen/tone/train your stomach muscles
contract/relax/stretch/use/work your lower-body muscles
build (up)/gain muscle
improve/increase your stamina/energy levels/physical fitness
burn/consume/expend calories

Staying healthy

be/get/keep/stay healthy/in shape/(especially British English) fit
lower your cholesterol/blood pressure
boost/stimulate/strengthen your immune system
prevent/reduce the risk of heart disease/high blood pressure/diabetes/osteoporosis
reduce/relieve/manage/combat stress
enhance/promote relaxation/physical and mental well-being

Synonyms pressurepressure

stress
tension
strain

These are all words for the feelings of worry caused by the problems in somebody’s life.

pressure
difficulties and feelings of worry that are caused by the need to achieve something or to behave in a particular way:
- She was unable to attend because of the pressures of work.
stress
pressure or worry caused by the problems in somebody’s life:
- stress-related illnesses

pressure or stress?It is common to say that somebody is suffering from stress, while pressure may be the thing that causes stress.

tension
a feeling of worry and stress that makes it impossible to relax:
- nervous tension
strain
pressure on somebody/something because they have too much to do or manage; the problems or worry that this produces:
- I found it a strain looking after four children.

Patterns

to be under pressure/stress/strain
considerable pressure/stress/tension/strain
to cause stress/tension/strain
to cope with the pressure/stress/tension/strain
to relieve/release the pressure/stress/tension/strain
to be suffering from stress/tension

physical pressure

[uncountable, countable] physical pressure put on something that can damage it or make it lose its shape

stress on something When you have an injury you start putting stress on other parts of your body.
Little is known about the effects of water stress on plants.
The building was condemned because of the damage caused by excessive heat stress.
Different organisms react differently to environmental stress (= damage to the environment caused by human activity or natural events).
a stress fracture of the foot (= one caused by such pressure)

Extra Examples

Avoid exercise that puts undue stress on the knees.
Cycling puts very little stress on the joints.
Engineers calculated the stresses borne by each of the bridge supports.
He was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right foot.
Some woods warp under stress.
Standing all day puts stress on your feet.
Stress is applied to the wood to make it bend.
The buttresses are subjected to constant stress.
The majority of sports injuries are due to excessive mechanical stress on joints, ligaments and muscles.
The movements set up stresses in the earth's crust.
The tower exerts an enormous stress on the walls.
There is equal stress on all parts of the structure.

Topics Physics and chemistryb2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

enormous
high
low
…

verb + stress

exert
set up
apply
…

stress + noun

fracture

preposition

stress on
under stress

See full entry

on word/syllable

[uncountable, countable] (phonetics) an extra force used when pronouncing a particular word or syllable

We worked on pronunciation, stress and intonation.
stress on something There's a stress on the second syllable.
In ‘strategic’ the stress falls on the second syllable

compare intonation

Wordfinder

cluster
consonant
diphthong
elide
intonation
phonetics
pronunciation
stress
tone
voiced

see also primary stress, secondary stress

Extra Examples

Where does the stress fall in ‘psychological’?
The first syllable takes the stress.
Mark the primary stress in each word.
Italian words usually have the main stress on the penultimate syllable in the word.

Topics Languagea2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

main
major
primary
…

verb + stress

carry
have
take
…

stress + verb

fall
go

stress + noun

pattern

preposition

stress on

See full entry

emphasis

[uncountable] stress (on something) special importance given to something

She lays great stress on punctuality.
I think the company places too much stress on cost and not enough on quality.

Extra Examples

There's been a lot of stress on getting drug sellers off the streets.
a study of child development, with the stress on acquisition of social skills
I must lay great stress on the need for secrecy.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

enormous
great
particular
…

verb + stress

lay
place
put
…

preposition

with the stress on
stress on

See full entry

in music

[uncountable, countable] extra force used when making a particular sound in music

illness

[uncountable] illness caused by difficult physical conditions

Those most vulnerable to heat stress are the elderly.

Word OriginMiddle English (denoting hardship or force exerted on a person for the purpose of compulsion): shortening of distress, or partly from Old French estresse ‘narrowness, oppression’, based on Latin strictus ‘drawn tight’, past participle of stringere ‘tighten, draw tight’.

stress

verb

OPAL WOPAL S

/stres/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they stress	/stres/ /stres/
he / she / it stresses	/ˈstresɪz/ /ˈstresɪz/
past simple stressed	/strest/ /strest/
past participle stressed	/strest/ /strest/
-ing form stressing	/ˈstresɪŋ/ /ˈstresɪŋ/

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word/syllable

[transitive] stress something to give extra force to a word or syllable when saying it

You stress the first syllable in ‘happiness’.
They might (and I stress the word 'might') do the right thing the next time.

Synonyms stressstressemphasizeThese words both mean to give extra force to a syllable, word or phrase when you are saying it.

stress
to give extra force to a word or syllable when saying it:
- You stress the first syllable in ‘happiness’.
emphasize
to give extra force to a word or phrase when saying it, especially to show that it is important:
- ‘Let nothing … nothing,’ he emphasized the word, ‘tempt you.’

Topics Languagea2

emphasize

[transitive] to emphasize a fact, an idea, etc.

stress something He stressed the importance of a good education.
She stressed the need for cooperation with the authorities.
She is at pains to stress the cultural differences between the two countries.
stress that… I must stress that everything I've told you is strictly confidential.
I can't stress enough that security is of the highest importance.
+ speech ‘There is,’ Johnson stressed, ‘no real alternative.’
it is stressed that… It must be stressed that this disease is very rare.
stress how, what, etc. I cannot stress too much how important this is.

Extra Examples

Doctors have rightly stressed the importance of exercise.
He stressed the point very strongly that all these services cost money.
I must stress that we still know very little about this disease.
It is worth stressing that this was only a relatively small survey.
Private schools tend to stress the more academic subjects.
She has constantly stressed the government's poor record in this area.
I want to stress how important this work is.
Observers stressed the necessity for the ceasefire to be observed.
He was keen to stress the importance of physical exercise.
Health officials have repeatedly stressed that the virus appears to be relatively mild.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

heavily
strongly
constantly
…

verb + stress

must
tend to
be anxious to
…

phrases

I can’t stress enough
it can’t be stressed enough
be important to stress something
…

See full entry

worry

[intransitive, transitive] to become or make somebody become too anxious or tired to be able to relax

I just need to get some sleep and stop stressing.
stress out I try not to stress out when things go wrong.
stress somebody (out) Driving in cities really stresses me (out).

Topics Feelingsb2