n. 1 emphasis, force, pressure, forcefulness, accent, accentuation, prominence, Technical ictus Many people place the stress on the first syllable of 'controversy' 2 emphasis, significance, importance, weight, force, insistence, urgency She lays too much stress on looks 3 (stress and) strain, burden, anxiety, worry, distress, pain, grief, suffering, anguish, pressure, tenseness, tension She has four elderly people to care for, and the stress is beginning to show
v. 4 emphasize, accent, accentuate, lay stress or emphasis on, underscore, underline, mark, note, make a point of, bring home, focus on, bring into prominence, spotlight, feature, highlight The conference succeeded in stressing the importance of a good home life 5 strain, put under strain or stress, upset, disturb, burden, worry, distress, Brit pressurize or US pressure Duncan was terribly stressed after a few months in the new job