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Psychology vocabulary · Emotion and Motivation

Stress

Meaning in psychology, with examples

/stres/nounCore term

In psychology, stress means: The body's and mind's response to demands or threats that seem to exceed a person's resources, involving physical arousal, tension and worry.

In Turkish: stres, gerginlik

How it is used

Used in health, work and clinical psychology. A stressor is the cause and stress is the response. Common phrases: under stress, stress levels, chronic stress, stress management. In this sense it is uncountable.

Example sentences

  1. Chronic stress was linked to higher cortisol levels in the nurses we studied.

  2. Exams, moving house and money problems are common sources of stress for students.

Common collocations

  • chronic stress
  • under stress
  • stress management
  • cope with stress
  • stress response
  • cope withTo deal with a difficult situation, feeling or problem in a way that lets you keep functioning, for example by solving the problem or managing your emotions.
  • anxietyA feeling of worry, tension or fear about something that might happen, often with physical signs such as a fast heartbeat; when intense and lasting, it can be part of a disorder.
  • resilienceThe ability to adapt well and recover after adversity, trauma or serious stress, drawing on personal strengths and support from others.
  • traumaA deeply distressing experience, such as violence, a serious accident or a disaster, or the lasting psychological harm that such an event can cause.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Emotion and Motivation

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.