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.
Martinez noted that Goldman now trades on just 13 times 2027 earnings, its multiple having compressed from 15 times before the second-quarter release.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
“As tensions flare again in the Strait of Hormuz, that room is now smaller and shrinking further as spare capacity has been deployed, demand has compressed, and inventories have been drawn down.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The team found that the tin telluride film is compressed by the underlying substrate, creating strain that is essential for stabilizing the material's topological state.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
"In some cases, progressive or 'pancake' collapses can trap occupants within compressed layers of debris, making rescue operations and victim identification particularly challenging."
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
Her lips, narrow and compressed when she was awake, were looser and fuller in sleep, and almost smiling, like her sleeping eyes.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
