decompress

[dee-kuhm-pres]

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to undergo decompression.

verb (used without object)

1. to undergo decompression.

2. Informal.,  to relax; unwind.

decompress

/ ˌdiːkəmˈprɛs /

verb

1. to relieve (a substance) of pressure or (of a substance) to be relieved of pressure

2. to return (a diver, caisson worker, etc) to a condition of normal atmospheric pressure gradually from a condition of increased pressure or (of a diver, etc) to be returned to such a condition

Other Word Forms

• decompressive adjective
• decompression noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decompress¹

1900–05; translation of French décomprimer. See de-, compress

Example Sentences

In Costa Rica in 2023, he tried to decompress while sifting through the mountain of material.

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Realistically, my husband and I would probably end the day by binge-watching bad reality TV to decompress and disassociate for a little bit — something like “Love Island.”

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They had to take Noah to do press, so we had some time to kind of decompress for the excitement and stuff.

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A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves that rapidly compress and decompress the air, producing an explosive noise.

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The young men at the corner table were, Aaron said, decompressing after a stint in Gaza.

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When To Use

What does decompress mean?

Decompress means to release or reduce pressure.This literal meaning of decompress can be used in several contexts. Divers who’ve spent time in deep water decompress by coming up slowly. Divers and other underwater workers sometimes decompress by using a decompression chamber. The goal of these processes is to return the body to normal atmospheric pressure in order to avoid decompression sickness.In a medical context, to decompress is to release pressure in the body, such as from inside the skull through surgery.Decompress can also be used in a figurative way meaning to relax or unwind. This sense of the word likens stress to pressure within the body that needs to be released. A close synonym is destress. An even more informal way of saying this is blow off steam.In all senses of the word, the process of decompressing is called decompression.Example: Yoga really helps me to decompress after a stressful day at work.