compress
Americanverb (used with object)
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to press together; force into less space.
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to cause to become a solid mass.
to compress cotton into bales.
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to condense, shorten, or abbreviate.
The book was compressed by 50 pages.
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Computers. to reduce the storage space required for (data) by changing its format.
The algorithm should compress the video file without losing any quality.
noun
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Medicine/Medical. a soft, cloth pad held in place by a bandage and used to provide pressure or to supply moisture, cold, heat, or medication.
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an apparatus for compressing cotton bales.
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a warehouse for storing cotton bales before shipment.
verb
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(tr) to squeeze together or compact into less space; condense
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computing to apply a compression program to (electronic data) so that it takes up less space
noun
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a wet or dry cloth or gauze pad with or without medication, applied firmly to some part of the body to relieve discomfort, reduce fever, drain a wound, etc
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a machine for packing material, esp cotton, under pressure
Synonym Usage
See contract.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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uncompressibleadjective
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compressinglyadverb
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compressiblenessnoun
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precompressverb (used with object)
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noncompressibleadjective
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compressibleadjective
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overcompressverb (used with object)
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compressiblyadverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have compressedperfect
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has compressedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been compressingperfect progressive
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are compressingprogressive
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is compressingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been compressingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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compressingparticiple
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compressessingular 3rd person
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am compressingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had compressedperfect
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had been compressingperfect progressive
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were compressingprogressive plural
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was compressingprogressive singular
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compressedparticiple
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compressedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of compress
1350–1400; (v.) Middle English (< Middle French compresser ) < Late Latin compressāre, frequentative of Latin comprimere to squeeze together ( see com-, press 1); (noun) < Middle French compresse, noun derivative of the v.
Explanation
The noun compress refers to a pad that's held to your body to reduce pain or symptoms of illness. A washcloth dipped in cold water and pressed onto your forehead to help you cool down is a type of compress. As a verb, compress means to squeeze together with a fair amount of pressure. When you compress a sponge to get all the water out, you press it between your palms or squish it between your fingers. Compress can also mean to make something more compact — as with the sponge, when you compress an object it gets smaller. You could even compress a speech by cutting it down into a shorter but equally effective version.
Vocabulary lists containing compress
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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The Thing About Jellyfish
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Entry-level workers, on the other hand, may benefit: AI can compress the learning curve, allowing less-experienced people to perform at higher levels sooner.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Wall Street anticipates Oracle’s operating margins to compress by about 3 percentage points as the company’s business mix shifts toward OCI, a more capital-intensive part of the business.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Margins are likely to compress in the coming few quarters because of the cost of introducing new cutting-edge chip-making in its factories.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
“If Brent crude remains above $100 a barrel for long, the tax-refund buffer will eventually be exhausted, real income growth will compress further, and aggregate demand will slow.”
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
“Next you will tell me the house is cursed! Oh, my head! Bring me a cold compress, please, I am quite at my wit’s end—and some tea—and a chocolate, quick! Make it a whole box!”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
