breaking point

breaking point
    n 1: (psychology) stress at which a person breaks down or a
         situation becomes crucial
    2: the degree of tension or stress at which something breaks
    

19 Moby Thesaurus words for "breaking point":
      bloat, bloating, distension, extreme tension, inflation,
      overdistension, overdrawing, overexpansion, overextension,
      overstrain, overstraining, overstretching, snapping point, strain,
      straining, stretch, stretching, swelling, tension