high-pressure
Americanadjective
-
having or involving a pressure above the normal.
high-pressure steam.
-
vigorous; persistent; aggressive.
high-pressure salesmanship.
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
having, using, involving, or designed to withstand a pressure above normal pressure
a high-pressure gas
a high-pressure cylinder
-
informal (of selling) persuasive in an aggressive and persistent manner
Etymology
Origin of high-pressure
First recorded in 1815–25
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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.
This sort of high-pressure environment usually results in increased levels of stress and anxiety.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
By 2013, the Bureau of Street Lighting had swapped more than half of the city’s 220,000 high-pressure sodium lamps with LED bulbs, and the department has systematically converted the rest in the years since.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Authorized repayment programs don’t use high-pressure tactics, experts say.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Nickel and cobalt processing are also seeing higher costs because sulfur is used in high-pressure acid leaching.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
The Ice, as Estraven had said, tends to hold a high-pressure zone above its central area, where thousands of square miles of white reflect the sunlight.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
