pressing

adjective

press·​ing ˈpre-siŋ How to pronounce pressing (audio)
1
: urgently important : critical
a pressing issue
2
pressingly adverb

Examples of pressing in a Sentence

a pressing need for reform she had pressing business on the other side of town
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, the bedrock of the team’s strong performance was their pressing and defensive solidity that completely neutralised Villa’s attack. Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 Toran, thankfully, interrupts Seldon with a more pressing matter: What about the Mule? Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025 But the most pressing bottleneck restricting ULA's ability to ramp up its launch cadence is at the launch site. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025 This includes addressing the most pressing goals, breaking them down into smaller, manageable tasks and creating a framework for accountability. Sacha Obaid, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pressing

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pressing was in 1591

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressing. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

pressing

adjective
press·​ing ˈpres-iŋ How to pronounce pressing (audio)
: needing one's immediate attention
a pressing issue
pressingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pressing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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