high-pressure

1 of 2

adjective

high-pres·​sure ˈhī-ˈpre-shər How to pronounce high-pressure (audio)
1
a
: having or involving a high or comparatively high pressure especially greatly exceeding that of the atmosphere
b
: having a high barometric pressure
2
a
: using or involving aggressive and insistent sales techniques
b
: imposing or involving severe strain or tension
high-pressure occupations

high-pressure

2 of 2

verb

high-pressured; high-pressuring; high-pressures

transitive verb

: to sell or influence by high-pressure tactics

Examples of high-pressure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
North Carolinians will also vote in a gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, setting up what's expected to be a high-pressure race in the fall. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 Piper was herself a teen star, but the show also draws on Prebble’s experience of navigating high-pressure workplaces as a young woman. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Beneath the surface, in realms devoid of sunlight, the cold, high-pressure environment unveils an astonishing diversity of ecosystems and animals, each uniquely adapted to thrive in extreme conditions. Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 That’s not to say that there isn’t a considerable amount of juggling that Gen Xers are doing to stay afloat during a high-pressure point in their lives. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 The other is the high-pressure test in which helium is pumped through the system to see if gas leaks out. Ronald D. White, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 The issue was a mechanical failure of a small high-pressure hose during normal operations. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Unsurprisingly, this led to some conversations about strategy and handling such a high-pressure situation, as Dan + Shay discussed in a recent Billboard interview. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024 After suffering decompression damage during its ascent from a high-pressure environment to the surface, the blobfish appeared to have a grotesquely sagging body and a comically sad face. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
Chinese companies have developed a technique called high-pressure acid leaching that makes low-quality nickel usable in lithium-ion batteries. Diego Lasarte, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2023 After losing to Washington State in the Pac-12 title game, Close realized the importance of emphasizing fun during the most high-pressure games of the season. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2023 The Bulldogs used a high-pressure defense that covers three-quarters of the court to push their lead to 10-2 after forcing four GCU turnovers. Emily Horos, The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2023 McGraw appeared in 22 games last season, starting half of them, but the Tuiloma trade thrust him into a high-pressure spot. oregonlive, 16 Mar. 2023 At the time, Cherington was working at a high-pressure job as an exercise physiology-and-physical-therapy assistant in the intensive care unit at a Boston hospital. Emilia Benton, SELF, 15 Mar. 2023 Unlike existing portable desalination systems based on reverse osmosis, the MIT team’s prototype does not need any high-pressure pumping or maintenance by technicians. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 As part of this research, Dituri is investigating the effects of living in a high-pressure environment for an extended period. Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2023 In addition, a large high-pressure system that grew in winters past, keeping the region dry, didn’t materialize this year, leaving the door open for passing storms. Brian K Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'high-pressure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-pressure was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near high-pressure

Cite this Entry

“High-pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-pressure. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

high-pressure

1 of 2 adjective
1
a
: having or involving a high pressure especially much higher than that of the atmosphere
b
: having a high atmospheric pressure
2
: using or involving very aggressive sales techniques

high-pressure

2 of 2 verb
: to sell or influence by high-pressure methods
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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