compressed
Americanadjective
-
pressed into less space; condensed.
compressed gases.
- Antonyms:
- expanded
-
pressed together.
compressed lips.
-
flattened by or as if by pressure.
compressed wallboard.
-
Zoology, Botany. flattened laterally.
adjective
-
squeezed together or condensed
-
(of the form of flatfishes, certain plant parts, etc) flattened laterally along the whole length
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compressed
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at compress, -ed 2
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.
But Ms. Proulx’s stories read like full novels that have been radically compressed into 20 or 30 pages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
In recent years, the country has also encouraged the use of compressed natural gas to power vehicles, with natural gas plants and filling stations set up mostly in the largest city, Dar es Salaam.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
The greater decrease in nerve size suggested that hydrodissection was more effective at reducing swelling around the compressed nerve.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
The emphasis is on the speed of the take-up because the industry is moving so fast, development cycles are being compressed all the time and some models are now obsolete within six months.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
As objects recede into the distance in the painting, they get closer and closer to the vanishing point, getting more compressed as they get farther away from the viewer.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
