strain

noun (PRESSURE)

/streɪn/

Definition

B2 [C usually singular or U] a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing damage: The hurricane put such a strain on the bridge that it collapsed. As you get older, excess weight puts a lot of strain on the heart. Their constant arguments were putting a strain on their marriage. The recent decline in the dollar has put a bigger strain on the economic system. Migration into the cities is putting a strain on already stretched resources.Energy, force and powerPower and intensityAnxious and worried C2 [C] an injury to a muscle or similar soft part of the body caused by using that part too much: a groin/hamstring strain → See also eyestrainInjuring and injuries B2 [C or U] something that makes you feel nervous and worried: She's a lot better than she was but she's still not ready to face the stresses and strains of a job. He's been under a lot of strain recently.Anxiety and worry - general wordsFear and phobias

(Definition of strain noun (PRESSURE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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