stress
stress — 名詞
1. A feeling of worry or mental tension that people get when they face difficult si
壓力
因困難情況引起的憂慮或緊張
A feeling of worry or mental tension that people get when they face difficult situations or have too many things to deal with.
Jisoo felt a lot of stress before her final exam at university.
Jisoo 在大學期末考前感到很大的壓力。
uncountable noun: 'a lot of stress'
Working long hours without a break can cause serious stress over time.
長時間工作不休息，久而久之會造成嚴重的壓力。
verb + 'stress': 'cause stress'
After work, Mayumi walks in the park to manage her stress from the office.
下班後，Mayumi 會到公園散步來舒緩工作帶來的壓力。
The stress of moving to a new country made Linh feel completely exhausted.
搬到新國家的壓力讓 Linh 感到筋疲力竭。
Tendai felt intense stress when his manager gave him three project deadlines in one week.
Tendai 的主管一週內給了他三個專案截止日期，讓他壓力很大。
- relaxation
a state of being free from tension and worry
文法句型
stress + of + noun phrase
under + stress
cause + stress
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'under': 'under stress'. This is the most common sense of the word and often collocates with 'manage', 'reduce', 'cause', and 'deal with'.
常見錯誤
2. A difficult situation that happens when a system, organization, or resource is a
負擔；壓力
系統或資源因需求過大承受的負擔
A difficult situation that happens when a system, organization, or resource is asked to do more than it can handle.
The city's water system is under stress from the growing population.
該城市的供水系統因人口增長而承受壓力。
'under stress' for systems
Putting too much stress on the old bridge could make it unsafe for drivers.
對那座舊橋施加太多壓力可能會影響行車安全。
'put stress on [object]'
The local hospital is facing financial stress after several budget cuts this year.
當地醫院在今年幾次預算削減後面臨財務壓力。
The computer network broke down under the stress of too many users at once.
該電腦網路因同時有太多使用者而負載過重導致當機。
文法句型
under + stress
put + stress + on
face + stress
用法筆記
Typically describes pressure on infrastructure, budgets, organizations, or natural systems. Common with 'financial stress', 'water stress', 'environmental stress'.
常見錯誤
3. The greater loudness or emphasis that a speaker gives to one syllable of a word
重音
說話時對特定音節或單詞的加強
The greater loudness or emphasis that a speaker gives to one syllable of a word or one word of a sentence, making it stand out from the others.
Mizuki learned that when 'record' is a noun, the stress falls on the first syllable.
Mizuki 學到當「record」作名詞使用時，重音落在第一個音節。
'stress falls on [syllable]'
Samir struggled with Spanish stress until his tutor showed him rules for endings like 'ción'.
Samir 一直不太會西班牙語的單詞重音，後來他的家教教了他以「ción」結尾的規則。
When Élise stressed 'you' instead of 'more', her friend thought she was being rude.
當 Élise 重讀了「你」而不是「更多」時，她的朋友以為她在沒禮貌。
The teacher told Christopher to put the stress on the second syllable of 'hotel'.
老師告訴 Christopher 說「hotel」這個字的重音要放在第二個音節。
文法句型
stress + falls on + syllable/word
stress + on + syllable/word
word + stress
常見錯誤
4. A force that presses, pulls, or twists on an object, often changing its shape or
應力
作用在物體上使其變形的力
A force that presses, pulls, or twists on an object, often changing its shape or causing damage over time.
Engineers like Mateo design steel beams to handle stress without breaking under heavy loads.
像 Mateo 這樣的工程師設計鋼樑時，會考量讓它在重物下承受應力而不斷裂。
Engineers must calculate the stress on every part of the bridge during a storm.
工程師必須計算暴風雨期間橋樑每個部位承受的應力。
'calculate the stress on [object]'
Extreme heat can create stress in concrete and cause cracks to appear over time.
極度高溫會在混凝土中產生應力，隨著時間造成裂縫。
The earthquake put enormous stress on the building's foundation and walls.
地震對建築物的地基和牆壁施加了巨大的應力。
文法句型
under + stress
stress + on + object
cause + stress
用法筆記
Common in engineering and physics contexts. Different types include 'tensile stress' (pulling apart), 'compressive stress' (pushing together), and 'shear stress' (sliding).
5. Special importance or attention given to something seen as crucial — for example
重點；重要性
賦予某事特殊重視
Special importance or attention given to something seen as crucial — for example, when a company puts stress on customer feedback or a teacher stresses the value of daily reading.
The manager placed great stress on teamwork during the staff meeting.
主管在員工會議上特別強調團隊合作的重要性。
'placed great stress on [noun]'
In this school, teachers put stress on learning through hands-on activities.
在這所學校，老師們重視透過動手活動來學習。
The report lays stress on the need for better public transport in rural areas.
這份報告強調偏鄉地區需要更好的大眾運輸。
The CEO of Asher Corporation puts heavy stress on customer satisfaction in every store.
Asher 公司的執行長非常強調每家門市的顧客滿意度。
- emphasis
very close in meaning; 'emphasis' is more common in everyday speech
- importance
broader term; 'stress' implies actively drawing attention to something
- prominence
suggests visibility rather than deliberate focus
文法句型
put + stress + on + noun
lay + stress + on + noun
place + stress + on + noun
用法筆記
Typically occurs in fixed verb phrases: 'place stress on', 'lay stress on', 'put stress on'. More formal than 'emphasize' or 'highlight'.
常見錯誤
stress — 動詞
1. To say clearly that something is very important or true, often because you want
強調
認為某事非常重要並特別指出
To say clearly that something is very important or true, often because you want people to pay attention to it or take action.
The doctor stressed the importance of getting at least seven hours of sleep.
醫生強調每天至少睡七個小時的重要性。
'stress + the importance of [gerund]'
Andrés stressed that everyone should wear a seatbelt when driving any car.
Andrés 強調每個人在開任何車時都應該繫安全帶。
'stress + that-clause'
The report stresses the need for better safety measures in the factory.
這份報告強調工廠需要更好的安全措施。
Teachers at our school often stress the value of reading books every day.
我們學校的老師經常強調每天閱讀的價值。
- downplay
to make something seem less important than it is
文法句型
stress + that + clause
stress + noun phrase
stress + the importance/need/value of + noun
用法筆記
Commonly takes a that-clause ('stress that...') or a noun phrase ('stress the importance of...'). More formal than 'say' and stronger than 'mention'. Subject can be a person, report, study, or organization.
常見錯誤
2. To say a particular syllable or word with more force than the others around it,
重讀
發音時對某音節或單詞加強力度
To say a particular syllable or word with more force than the others around it, making it sound louder or more prominent.
Lotte's English tutor told her to stress the first syllable when saying 'table'.
Lotte 的英文家教告訴她，說「table」時要重讀第一個音節。
'stress [syllable]' — pronunciation sense
Lan stressed the word 'Sunday' to make it clear when the party would be held.
Lan 重讀了「星期日」這個詞，以表明派對的舉辦日期。
Lucas stressed the second syllable of 'contents' by saying it louder than the first.
Lucas 在演講時把「contents」的第二個音節說得比第一個大聲很多，藉此重讀。
Aylin's teacher explained that you stress the first syllable of 'photograph', not the second.
Aylin 的老師解釋說，「photograph」的重音在第一個音節，而不是第二個。
- accent
very similar; 'accent' is more common in phonetics, 'stress' is more general
- emphasize
can be used for pronunciation, though less technical
- accentuate
formal and rare in everyday speech
- unstress
to say a syllable with less force
文法句型
stress + syllable/word
stress + noun phrase
3. To feel worried, nervous, or anxious, especially because of problems at work, sc
焦慮；壓力大
感到擔心或緊張不安
To feel worried, nervous, or anxious, especially because of problems at work, school, or in personal life.
Sana stressed about her job interview all week before the big day.
Sana 在重要面試的前一整個星期都感到壓力很大。
'stress about [noun]' — informal
Hari stressed about spilling coffee on his shirt, but his colleague said nobody would notice.
Hari 因為把咖啡潑到襯衫上而感到焦慮，但他的同事說沒有人會注意到。
'stress about [gerund phrase]'
William is stressing about his final exams and can hardly sleep at night.
William 正在為期末考感到壓力很大，晚上幾乎睡不著。
When the flight was cancelled, Folake stressed about missing her sister's wedding the next day.
當航班被取消時，Folake 因為可能錯過妹妹隔天的婚禮而感到非常焦慮。
- relax
to stop feeling worried and become calm
文法句型
stress + about + noun/gerund
stress + over + noun/gerund
stress + out
用法筆記
Informal and very common in spoken English. Often used in the phrasal form 'stress out' (e.g. 'I'm stressing out about the presentation'). Subject must be a person or group of people.
常見錯誤
4. To put too much pressure on a system, machine, organization, or person so that i
使負擔過重
對系統或資源施加過大壓力
To put too much pressure on a system, machine, organization, or person so that it has difficulty working properly.
The extra workload stressed the small team beyond what they could handle.
額外的工作量讓那個小團隊承受了超乎負荷的壓力。
'stressed [object] beyond capacity'
Heating the glass too quickly can stress it and cause cracks to form.
玻璃加熱太快會使其承受過大壓力而產生裂縫。
The sudden flood of orders stressed the factory's production line to its limit.
訂單突然大量湧入，使工廠的生產線承受了極限壓力。
Riding the bicycle over rough ground stressed the wheels far too much.
在崎嶇的地面上騎腳踏車讓輪胎承受了太大的壓力。
- relieve
to reduce or remove pressure from a system or person
文法句型
stress + noun phrase
be + stressed + by + noun
stress + the + limits/capacity of + noun
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice: 'The system was stressed by the sudden demand.' Common in technical and business contexts. Object can be a physical object (machine, material) or an abstract one (system, budget, team).