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
Compare meaning
How does high-pressure compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Temperatures are expected to be similar through the weekend due to consistent high pressure and onshore flower, according to the weather service.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Large, slow‑moving areas of high pressure - often called blocking highs or heatdomes - are large areas of sinking air.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Researchers first subjected the material to extremely high pressure, which enhanced its superconducting behavior and increased its transition temperature.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
And this is all happening in a tank with high pressure.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Savery’s engine, and Papin’s second engine, needed to build up a high pressure in order to be effective but, in practice, boilers and cylinders could not be made that withstood such pressure.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
