duress

du·ress

noun \du̇-ˈres also dyu̇-\

Definition of DURESS

1

: forcible restraint or restriction

2

: compulsion by threat; specifically : unlawful constraint

Examples of DURESS

1. He gave the information under duress.
2. <complied with the order only under duress>

Origin of DURESS

Middle English duresse, from Anglo-French duresce hardness, severity, from Latin duritia, from durus

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to DURESS

Synonyms

arm-twisting, coercion, compulsion, constraint, force, pressure

Related Words

browbeating, bulldozing, bullying; fear, intimidation, menace, sword, terror, terrorism, threat, violence; squeeze, squeeze play; might, muscle, potency, puissance, strength; hardheadedness, self-will, willfulness; strain, stress

Near Antonyms

agreement, approval, consent, permission; convincing, persuasion, reason, suasion

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

Rhymes with DURESS

abscess, access, address, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, excess, express, finesse, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, regress, re-press, repress, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, success, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress