'de-stress' originates from the prefix 'de-' meaning 'remove' and the word 'stress', which comes from Middle English 'stresse', derived from Old French 'estresse', meaning 'narrowness' or 'oppression'.

'stresse' transformed into the modern English word 'stress', and the prefix 'de-' was added to form 'de-stress'.

Initially, 'stress' meant 'narrowness' or 'oppression', but over time it evolved to mean 'mental or emotional strain'. 'De-stress' now means to remove or reduce this strain.