Decrease and Stress

decrease

A change downward.
- usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
- synonyms: lessening, drop-off
A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
- synonyms: decrement
The amount by which something decreases.
- synonyms: decrement
The act of decreasing or reducing something.
- synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

Decrease in size, extent, or range.
- usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
- synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
Make smaller.
- usage: "He decreased his staff"
- synonyms: lessen, minify

(v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
(v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
(n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
(v.) The wane of the moon.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

stress

The relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch. )
- usage: "he put the stress on the wrong syllable"
- synonyms: emphasis, accent
Psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense. (
- usage: "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"
- synonyms: tension, tenseness
Special emphasis attached to something.
- usage: "the stress was more on accuracy than on speed"
- synonyms: focus
Difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension."she endured the stresses and strains of life"; "he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger- R. J. Samuelson
- synonyms: strain
Physics) force that produces strain on a physical body. (
- usage: "the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided by units of area"

To stress, single out as important.
- usage: "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet"
- synonyms: emphasize, emphasise, punctuate, accent, accentuate
Put stress on; utter with an accent.
- usage: "In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word"
- synonyms: accent, accentuate
Test the limits of.
- usage: "You are trying my patience"
- synonyms: try, strain

(v.t.) To subject to phonetic stress; to accent.
(v.t.) To place emphasis on; to make emphatic; emphasize.
(n.) The force or combination of forces, which produces a strain; force exerted in any direction or manner between contiguous bodies or parts of bodies, and taking specific names according to its direction or mode of action, as thrust or pressure, pull or tension, shear or tangential stress.
(n.) Pressure, strain; -- used chiefly of immaterial things; except in mechanics; hence, urgency; importance; weight; significance.
(n.) Force of utterance expended upon words or syllables. Stress is in English the chief element in accent and is one of the most important in emphasis. See Guide to pronunciation, // 31-35.
(v.t.) To press; to urge; to distress; to put to difficulties.
(v.t.) To subject to stress, pressure or strain.
(n.) Distress.
(n.) Distress; the act of distraining; also, the thing distrained.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary