pressure
Americannoun
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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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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:
The dynamics of the Japanese yen carry trade, a trading strategy in which investors short low-yielding yen assets to buy higher-yielding assets elsewhere, have kept it under pressure for most of the past 15 years.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
This edge becomes an acceleration hotspot because pressure falls rapidly there while enthalpy density remains low.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
Scotland, Northern Ireland and western Britain will experience cloudier skies with outbreaks of rain as low pressure slowly moves across Ireland.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The fire department responded and checked our blood pressure and pulse, but both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
They bang into each other, and the pressure in the pot rises, causing the lid to dance.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
A lack of supplies has pushed prices higher and added to U.S. inflationary pressures.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
“We expect inflation pressures to persist in the Swiss economy, with hostilities in the Middle East resuming and global energy prices rebounding,” analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics said in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
There are new pressures on ultrafast fashion retailers to slow down their production.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
With national parks continuing to grapple with funding pressures, could the partnership be a sign of things to come for the Peak District and beyond?
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Colonel Gerineldo Márquez, besieged by pressures of all kinds, left his bed of a paralytic in order to persuade his former companion in arms.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The research, funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People's Trust for Endangered Species, was aimed at gauging the impact of road deaths on these pressured groups.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
He said Beijing had pressured Britain to agree to the construction.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
The precious metal continues to be pressured by a hawkish monetary policy backdrop ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, said Critical Metals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It has pressured spreads on longer hyperscaler bonds that mature in a decade or more the most, as the below BondCliQ chart shows.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
If Kareena feels pressured to cast me in the lead, it won't benefit her beautiful play.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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
Callum Hiller, defending, said Siddiqi came from a good background and that others had also been "pressuring" him.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In his report last month, Barofsky accused Fain of abusing his office by pressuring Boyer to advocate for a bonus for employees of a training center jointly run by the union and Stellantis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
My guts are all twisted up over Kristina and her stupid lie, and Dee and her pressuring me, and Mom and our lack of meaningful conversations.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
