pressure

[presh-er]

noun

1. the exertion of force upon a surface by an object, fluid, etc., in contact with it.

   the pressure of earth against a wall.

2. Physics.,  force per unit area. P

3. Meteorology.,  atmospheric pressure.

4. Electricity.,  electromotive force.

5. the state of being pressed or compressed.

6. harassment; oppression.

   the pressures of daily life.

7. a constraining or compelling force or influence.

   the social pressures of city life;

   financial pressure.

8. urgency, as of affairs or business.

   He works well under pressure.

9. Obsolete.,  that which is impressed.

verb (used with object)

pressured, pressuring 

1. to force (someone) toward a particular end; influence.

   They pressured him into accepting the contract.

2. pressurize.

pressure

/ ˈprɛʃə /

noun

1. the state of pressing or being pressed

2. the exertion of force by one body on the surface of another

3. a moral force that compels

   to bring pressure to bear

4. an urgent claim or demand or series of urgent claims or demands

   to work under pressure

5. a burdensome condition that is hard to bear

   the pressure of grief

6. 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

7. short for atmospheric pressure blood pressure

verb

1. (tr) to constrain or compel, as by the application of moral force

2. another word for pressurize

pressure

1. 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.

2. ◆ 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.

pressure

1. The force exerted on a given area. (See atmospheric pressure.)

The most familiar measure of pressure is psi (pounds per square inch), used to rate pressure in automobile and bicycle tires.

Other Word Forms

• pressureless adjective
• interpressure adjective
• nonpressure noun
• superpressure noun
• underpressure noun
• unpressured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pressure¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun), from Latin pressūra; press ¹, -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of pressure¹

C14: from Late Latin pressūra a pressing, from Latin premere to press

Example Sentences

The ultimate aim is for it to detect small pressure changes when it grips an object, and to know when to stop squeezing, just as the skin on fingertips does.

Read more on BBC

"All the stress and pressure were hard to deal with, but you get adrenaline from being in a series like that. When it's over you wonder what's next."

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However, the company’s share price may face near-term pressure as its 2025 earnings could fall short of targets, says the brokerage.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The steady buildup of Chinese military power in the South China Sea and around the Taiwan Strait allows Beijing to step up military pressure on American allies.

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In one published analysis, even after adjusting for factors such as age, education and income, long-term supplement users were less likely to have high blood pressure or diabetes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adversity 
• burden 
• constraint 
• force 
• hardship 
• heat 
• influence 
• power 
• strain 
• stress 
• tension 
• trouble 
• weight