Meaning & use
eustress
Last updated
A moderate, positive form of stress that can motivate and improve performance, as opposed to harmful stress.
See it in a sentence
The excitement before a big presentation can be eustress, sharpening her focus rather than derailing it.
Coaches often try to channel athletes' nerves into eustress rather than letting anxiety take over.
A note on using this word
Coined by combining the Greek prefix 'eu-' (good) with 'stress'; used mainly in psychology to distinguish beneficial stress from the harmful kind.
Words with an opposite meaning
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