Due to their unique band structure, single layers of transition metal dichalcogenides are promising for new atomic-scale physics and devices. It has been shown that the band structure and the excitonic transitions can be tuned by straining the material. Recently, the discovery of single-photon emission from localized excitons has put monolayer WSe 2 in the spotlight. The localized light emitters might be related to local strain potentials in the monolayer. Here, we measure strain-dependent energy shifts for the A, B, C, and D excitons for uniaxial tensile strain up to 1.4% in monolayer WSe 2 by performing absorption measurements. A gauge factor of -54 , meV % -50 , meV % +17 , meV % and -22 meV % is derived for the A, B, C, and D exciton, respectively. These values are in good agreement with ab initio GW-BSE calculations. Furthermore, we examine the spatial strain distribution in the WSe 2 monolayer at different applied strain levels. We find that the size of the monolayer is crucial for an efficient transfer of strain from the substrate to the monolayer. RECEIVED