pressing
Americanadjective
noun
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any phonograph record produced in a record-molding press from a master or a stamper.
-
a number of such records produced at one time.
The fifth pressing of his hit song has sold out.
adjective
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demanding immediate attention
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persistent or importunate
noun
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a large specified number of gramophone records produced at one time from a master record
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a component formed in a press
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football the tactic of trying to stay very close to the opposition when they are in possession of the ball
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pressing
1300–50; Middle English presing (gerund); see press 1, -ing 2, -ing 1
Explanation
If something's pressing, it's very important and should be taken care of right away. Your French club's most pressing issue might be raising money for the big trip to Montreal. Pressing business needs urgent attention, and pressing problems will turn into disasters if you don't figure out a quick way to solve them. Another meaning of pressing is "the act of exerting a strong pressure," like the pressing of apples into delicious cider. Pressing comes from the verb press, "to push against" or "to squeeze out," and later also "to urge or argue for."
Vocabulary lists containing pressing
Trash
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Lesson 11
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Important
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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.
About 5,200 years ago, people in what is now Iraq and Syria began pressing symbols into clay to record information.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
Today, a shortage of contractors with electrical expertise is the most pressing problem.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
The league leaders were in trouble - hunting and pressing wasn't enough, not when it was all done with an element of panic and fury.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
The high cost of housing in California and the related homelessness crisis are some of the most pressing issues facing the state.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
“You say you aren’t my mother,” Tano hisses, pressing a sharp finger into my palm pattern.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
