pressure cooker

noun

1

: an airtight utensil for quick cooking or preserving of foods by means of high-temperature steam under pressure

2

: a situation or environment that is fraught with emotional or social pressures

pressure-cook verb

Examples of pressure cooker in a Sentence

The new boss has turned the office into a pressure cooker.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beneath the surface, though, a pressure cooker is quietly building. —Kirah Tabourn, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026

Nothing ever seems to phase the freshman, not a slow start or Auriemma’s frustration or the win-or-go-home pressure cooker of the NCAA Tournament. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026

The contentious dispute between the WNBPA and the league has become a pressure cooker, with a new deal needed by Monday to avoid disrupting the league calendar. —Devon Henderson, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026

There are plenty of lessons that come with kids living inside the pressure cooker of precocious activities. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pressure cooker

• booker
• looker
• rooker
• snooker
• onlooker

Kids Definition

pressure cooker

noun

: a utensil for cooking or preserving foods by means of steam under pressure

pressure-cook

ˌpresh-ər-ˈku̇k

verb