pressurize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to raise the internal atmospheric pressure of to the required or desired level.
to pressurize an astronaut's spacesuit before a walk in space.
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to maintain normal air pressure in (the cockpit or cabin of an airplane) at high altitudes.
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to apply pressure to (a gas or liquid); supercharge.
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to pressure-cook.
verb
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to increase the pressure in (an enclosure, such as an aircraft cabin) in order to maintain approximately atmospheric pressure when the external pressure is low
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to increase pressure on (a fluid)
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to make insistent demands of (someone); coerce
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pressurize
Explanation
To pressurize a gas is to artificially raise the amount of force with which its molecules are pressing against each other. Before doctors give patients gasses like nitrous oxide or oxygen, they must first be pressurized inside a canister. In order to use them safely, their pressure is adjusted to a precise level. A similar procedure is done in the cabin of an airplane; for the air to be safe at high altitudes, engineers had to figure out how to pressurize it. The plane's engines heat and compress the air, raising its pressure — which means more oxygen for passengers to breathe.
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.
That momentum is transferred to the other turbine and used to pressurize the air-intake charge, spinning at speeds above 150,000 rpm.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
While crews are digging a deep pit to reach and repair the broken valve, others are working to fill and pressurize a large water tank that serves the area.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025
Methanol is also a good carrier of hydrogen, which is hard to pressurize and dangerous to transport.
From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2024
Helium is used to pressurize the fuel lines of Starliner’s thrusters, which are essential for maneuvering.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2024
It'll balloon out when I pressurize the rover, but it'll hold.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
