pressure
Americannoun
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pressures
plural
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the exertion of force upon a surface by an object, fluid, etc., in contact with it.
the pressure of earth against a wall.
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Physics. force per unit area. P
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Meteorology. atmospheric pressure.
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Electricity. electromotive force.
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the state of being pressed or compressed.
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harassment; oppression.
the pressures of daily life.
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a constraining or compelling force or influence.
the social pressures of city life;
financial pressure.
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urgency, as of affairs or business.
He works well under pressure.
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Obsolete. that which is impressed.
verb (used with object)
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pressures,
present (3rd person singular)
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pressured,
past participle, past
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pressuring
present participle
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to force (someone) toward a particular end; influence.
They pressured him into accepting the contract.
noun
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the state of pressing or being pressed
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the exertion of force by one body on the surface of another
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a moral force that compels
to bring pressure to bear
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an urgent claim or demand or series of urgent claims or demands
to work under pressure
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a burdensome condition that is hard to bear
the pressure of grief
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p. P. the normal force applied to a unit area of a surface, usually measured in pascals (newtons per square metre), millibars, torr, or atmospheres
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short for atmospheric pressure blood pressure
verb
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(tr) to constrain or compel, as by the application of moral force
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another word for pressurize
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The force per unit area that one region of a gas, liquid, or solid exerts on another. Pressure is usually measured in Pascal units, atmospheres, or pounds per square inch.
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◆ A substance is said to have negative pressure if some other substance exerts more force per unit area on it than vice versa. Its value is simply the negative of the pressure exerted by the other substance.
Discover More
The most familiar measure of pressure is psi (pounds per square inch), used to rate pressure in automobile and bicycle tires.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonpressurenoun
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superpressurenoun
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underpressurenoun
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interpressureadjective
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pressurelessadjective
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unpressuredadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pressuresimple
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pressuressimple
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have pressuredperfect
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has pressuredperfect
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am pressuringprogressive
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are pressuringprogressive
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is pressuringprogressive
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have been pressuringperfect progressive
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has been pressuringperfect progressive
Past
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pressuredsimple
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had pressuredperfect
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was pressuringprogressive
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were pressuringprogressive
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had been pressuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pressure
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun), from Latin pressūra; see press 1, -ure
Explanation
You feel pressure when something presses on you –- whether a physical force or a stressful situation. If you don't crack under the pressure of witnessing the accident, you will calmly apply pressure on the driver's wound until help arrives. The pressure of a looming deadline might cause you to finally get to work on an assignment. Pressure can also be a verb, like when your friend pressures you to go rock climbing despite your fear of heights. The rocks you would rather not climb were formed long ago by extreme heat and pressure. While climbing, your friend's blood pressure may rise right along with yours when she sees how clumsy you are.
Vocabulary lists containing pressure
Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Plate Tectonics - Middle School
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Weather and Climate - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Brasher and Cruz kept the pressure on during the second match, pulling ahead early 8-6 and leading by as much as 17-12 before closing out the victory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Qatar has been a key mediator in the latest round of talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an easing of American economic pressure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Read more: AI inflation is putting even more pressure on the Fed.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
So strengthening your muscles, including through exercises such as weightlifting, helps to reduce the pressure placed on your joints.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
While I’m grateful they’re giving me the chance to catch back up, the pressure is even greater since everything is due in three short weeks.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Cost pressures and oversupply risks exist for data centers, said Willy Shih, a management practice professor at Harvard University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
There’s little indication that purchase-price pressures will relent soon.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Climate change, land use pressures and drought would all have to be reckoned with.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Water companies have been given the green light to increase bills for customers by an extra £3.4bn in coming years to meet increased pressures on infrastructure and the environment.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Perhaps, the pressures of everyday stress and strain had gotten her down.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
In a previous email to management in 2014, Bradnam expressed concern the hospital's diagnostic team was being "pressured" into installing high-value imaging equipment before the building was complete.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The group is calling for more funding for palliative care so "no one feels pressured to end their lives simply because they are not receiving the medical help they deserve".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Last week, he again pressured Pirro on Truth Social to “re-visit her hastily made decision.”
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
Ariel Atkins cut the deficit to 90-87 after banking in a three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining, but the Mercury made their free throws and pressured the Sparks’ offense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Patria heard from Pefta up in Salcedo about Leandro being pressured to do some job for Trujillo.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Amazon was pressuring publishers to digitize their backlists for the imminent launch of Kindle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The AI-debt supply has been pressuring Treasury yields higher too.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Callum Hiller, defending, said Siddiqi came from a good background and that others had also been "pressuring" him.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Sources familiar with the operation but not authorized to speak publicly said U.S. federal agents had been in contact with Guzmán López, and were pressuring him to surrender.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
“I’ll go in,” Mom says, without pressuring me or Dad to go with her.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
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.
