decompression

American  

[dee-kuhm-presh-uhn] / ˌdi kəmˈprɛʃ ən /

noun

1. the gradual reduction in atmospheric pressure experienced by divers, construction workers, etc., after working in deep water or breathing compressed air.

2. the act or process of releasing from pressure.

3. Surgery. the procedure of relieving increased cranial, cardiac, or orbital pressure.

4. a state of relief from pressure; a return to normalcy after a stressful period or situation.

5. Computers. the restoration of data that has undergone compression to its original state.

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Usage

What does decompression mean? Decompression is the process of decompressing—releasing or reducing pressure. This literal meaning of decompression 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 decompression is to return the body to normal atmospheric pressure in order to avoid decompression sickness. In a medical context, decompression is the process of releasing pressure in the body, such as from inside the skull, through surgery. Decompression can also be used in a figurative way meaning the act of relaxing or unwinding. This sense of the word likens stress to pressure within the body that needs to be released. Close synonyms of the verb decompress are destress and blow off steam. In all senses of the word, the process of decompressing is called decompression. Example: After a stressful day at work, my favorite form of decompression is a long bike ride.

Etymology

Origin of decompression

1900–05; probably < French décompression. See de-, compression

Example Sentences

“It’s a decompression room where people can dip out of the main anchor to have a quiet meditative moment and recaliberate. It’s going to be all-natural treatments with a mycelia ceiling.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

The loss of that section caused an uncontrolled decompression inside the aircraft, where passengers say they had to "hold on for dear life".

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2024

On Jan. 5, shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, a plug door on the flight’s Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet blew out, causing an uncontrolled decompression of the plane.

From Slate • Jan. 17, 2024

Passenger Nicholas Hoch, a 33-year-old architect, told Bloomberg News the decompression sucked the shirt off a teenage boy in the row ahead of the fuselage hole, leaving him with some abrasions.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2024

I can't get any closer, 'cause the debris from the decompression is all over the place.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir