peer pressure

American  

[peer presh-er] / ˈpɪər ˈprɛʃ ər /

noun

1. social pressure by members of one's peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.

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peer pressure Cultural  

1. The social influence a peer group exerts on its individual members, as each member attempts to conform to the expectations of the group. (See conformity.)

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Example Sentences

The groups said these features exploit children's "developmental vulnerabilities", particularly around impulse control and peer pressure.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Are we saying the best way to make a difference is to go around putting peer pressure on each other?

From Slate • May 15, 2026

One of my mom group chats recently turned to strength training, and I copped to finally succumbing to peer pressure and buying weights on Amazon—5 pounders, to be exact.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has painted social media as "a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators".

From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025

Harris argued that the top-down influence of parents is overwhelmed by the grassroots effect of peer pressure, the blunt force applied each day by friends and schoolmates.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt