pressing

1 of 2

adjective

press·​ing ˈpre-siŋ 

1

: urgently important : critical

a pressing issue

2

: earnest, warm

pressingly

ˈpre-siŋ-lē 

adverb

pressing

2 of 2

present participle of press entry 2, press entry 3

Synonyms of pressing

Adjective

• urgent
• acute

Examples of pressing in a Sentence

Adjective

a pressing need for reform

she had pressing business on the other side of town

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

For Oldenziel, one of the most pressing challenges is ensuring that inspections translate into actual improvements on the factory floor. — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

As traffic on the road has increased with that meteoric rise, the problem has only grown more pressing. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

That’s one of the most pressing challenges for the industry, and there’s no guarantee of success. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026

For Pélisson, one of the industry’s most pressing battles is over data. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pressing

• flesh-pressing

Rhymes for pressing

• blessing
• dressing
• guessing
• messing
• stressing
• accessing
• addressing
• assessing
• caressing
• compressing
• confessing
• depressing

Kids Definition

pressing

adjective

press·​ing ˈpres-iŋ 

: needing one's immediate attention

a pressing issue

pressingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb