pressure
Americannoun
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pressures
plural
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the exertion of force upon a surface by an object, fluid, etc., in contact with it.
the pressure of earth against a wall.
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Physics. force per unit area. P
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Meteorology. atmospheric pressure.
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Electricity. electromotive force.
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the state of being pressed or compressed.
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harassment; oppression.
the pressures of daily life.
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a constraining or compelling force or influence.
the social pressures of city life;
financial pressure.
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urgency, as of affairs or business.
He works well under pressure.
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Obsolete. that which is impressed.
verb (used with object)
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pressures,
present (3rd person singular)
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pressured,
past participle, past
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pressuring
present participle
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to force (someone) toward a particular end; influence.
They pressured him into accepting the contract.
noun
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the state of pressing or being pressed
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the exertion of force by one body on the surface of another
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a moral force that compels
to bring pressure to bear
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an urgent claim or demand or series of urgent claims or demands
to work under pressure
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a burdensome condition that is hard to bear
the pressure of grief
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p. P. the normal force applied to a unit area of a surface, usually measured in pascals (newtons per square metre), millibars, torr, or atmospheres
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short for atmospheric pressure blood pressure
verb
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(tr) to constrain or compel, as by the application of moral force
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another word for pressurize
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The force per unit area that one region of a gas, liquid, or solid exerts on another. Pressure is usually measured in Pascal units, atmospheres, or pounds per square inch.
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◆ A substance is said to have negative pressure if some other substance exerts more force per unit area on it than vice versa. Its value is simply the negative of the pressure exerted by the other substance.
Discover More
The most familiar measure of pressure is psi (pounds per square inch), used to rate pressure in automobile and bicycle tires.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonpressurenoun
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superpressurenoun
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underpressurenoun
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interpressureadjective
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pressurelessadjective
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unpressuredadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pressuresimple
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pressuressimple
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have pressuredperfect
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has pressuredperfect
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am pressuringprogressive
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are pressuringprogressive
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is pressuringprogressive
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have been pressuringperfect progressive
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has been pressuringperfect progressive
Past
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pressuredsimple
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had pressuredperfect
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was pressuringprogressive
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were pressuringprogressive
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had been pressuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pressure
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun), from Latin pressūra; see press 1, -ure
Explanation
You feel pressure when something presses on you –- whether a physical force or a stressful situation. If you don't crack under the pressure of witnessing the accident, you will calmly apply pressure on the driver's wound until help arrives. The pressure of a looming deadline might cause you to finally get to work on an assignment. Pressure can also be a verb, like when your friend pressures you to go rock climbing despite your fear of heights. The rocks you would rather not climb were formed long ago by extreme heat and pressure. While climbing, your friend's blood pressure may rise right along with yours when she sees how clumsy you are.
Vocabulary lists containing pressure
Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Plate Tectonics - Middle School
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Weather and Climate - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Higher borrowing costs add pressure to public finances as debt servicing already exceeds defense spending, they noted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
TOKYO—China has been piling diplomatic, military and economic pressure on Japan for months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The demographic shift could put pressure on pension systems and weaken the balance between working-age people and retirees.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
NHS bosses say the pressure has been as bad as it is in winter months.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
He must not give in to Soviet pressure.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
These costs in the earlier stage of production point to easing inflationary pressures.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Economic pressures and changing social norms are driving couples in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria to have fewer babies, with a recent study saying Maghreb fertility was at a historic low.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Climate change, land use pressures and drought would all have to be reckoned with.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Yet the journalist appears reluctant to focus on the pressures he's under, preferring instead to highlight the plight of compatriots in prison.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
We have enough documents, letters and memoirs to prove that World War Two was not caused by food shortages or demographic pressures.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Last week, he again pressured Pirro on Truth Social to “re-visit her hastily made decision.”
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
Ariel Atkins cut the deficit to 90-87 after banking in a three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining, but the Mercury made their free throws and pressured the Sparks’ offense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The company’s movie releases have been met with mixed success, while increased investments to bolster its entertainment push have pressured profit and weighed on shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Idowu argues that performers should not be pressured into taking political positions simply because of their nationality.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Even so, and however much they pressured him, Perry was sure Dick would hold out.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Former lightweight champion Nurmagomedov retired in 2020 having won all 29 of his fights, with a relentless pressuring style which overwhelmed his opponents.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Should longer-term rates fail to rise by as much, the spread between what banks earn on loans and pay for funding could narrow, pressuring net interest income.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
Sources familiar with the operation but not authorized to speak publicly said U.S. federal agents had been in contact with Guzmán López, and were pressuring him to surrender.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
That arrangement ran afoul of the NFL’s governance rules—and the league had been pressuring Jody Allen to follow through with a sale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“The only reason they sponsored our visas was because the government was pressuring them to hire workers with papers. But now everyone’s saying it was all talk.”
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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.
