pressure

noun

pres·sure | \ ˈpre-shər

Definition of pressure

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the burden of physical or mental distress

b : the constraint of circumstance : the weight of social or economic imposition

2 : the application of force to something by something else in direct contact with it : compression

3 archaic : impression, stamp

4a : the action of a force against an opposing force

b : the force or thrust exerted over a surface divided by its area

c : electromotive force

5 : the stress or urgency of matters demanding attention : exigency people who work well under pressure

6 : the force of selection that results from one or more agents and tends to reduce a population of organisms population pressure predation pressure

7 : the pressure exerted in every direction by the weight of the atmosphere

8 : a sensation aroused by moderate compression of a body part or surface

pressure

verb

pressured; pressuring\ ˈpre-sh(ə-)riŋ

Definition of pressure (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to apply pressure to

2 : pressurize

3 : to cook in a pressure cooker

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Examples of pressure in a Sentence

Noun

Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. the pressure of the compressed air inside the chamber The animal's jaws can exert a pressure of more than 750 pounds per square inch. The horse will respond to the slightest pressure of a rider's knee. The fruit yields to gentle pressure when it's ripe. the normal air pressure at sea level He gave in to the social pressures to act and dress like everybody else. She felt a constant pressure to earn more money.

Verb

his father pressured him to go out for the swim team

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Casper’s line of foam beds provide great pressure relief and support to a range of sleepers. — Samantha Gordon, USA TODAY, "The 7 best deals you can get this Saturday," 6 July 2019 After transferring from Evanston, Bull immediately became a starter last season to help take some pressure off high-scoring guard Aquan Smart. — Bob Narang, chicagotribune.com, "'Winning is the expectation’: Niles North hopes to build around Jalen Butler," 6 July 2019 Many executives would be paralyzed by the pressure to maintain the status quo or be tempted to downplay the obvious shortcomings of this group. — Ben Golliver, The Denver Post, "Winners and losers from the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George bombshell," 6 July 2019 Regional and international pressure helped both sides reach an agreement. — Catherine Kim, Vox, "Vox Sentences: Turning off the red lights," 6 July 2019 Your piercer will then put your jewellery in, apply pressure to stop any bleeding, and place a bandage over the piercing. — Lexy Lebsack, refinery29.com, "Everything You Want To Know About Nipple Piercings (& We Mean Everything)," 5 July 2019 The researchers also concluded that the trauma to the skull was not caused by post-mortem factors, like scavenging or soil pressure. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "This 33,000-Year-Old Man May Have Been Killed by a Left-Handed Murderer," 5 July 2019 Weak but low atmospheric pressure and wind from the Oregon coast will cause morning clouds, but will blow through by the afternoon on the Fourth of July, according to the National Weather Service. — oregonlive.com, "Portland metro Thursday weather: sunny and warm for 4th of July," 4 July 2019 High pressure over New York will bring a partly to mostly sunny sky in Connecticut for the Fourth of July holiday along with very warm temperatures as highs top off in the mid-80s to the mid-90s. — courant.com, "Mostly sunny and warm for holiday," 3 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

However, Beijing has been pressuring Hong Kong’s leaders to pass laws that bring it more closely in line with the Chinese government, including this recent extradition law, which is sponsored by the pro-Beijing government. — Rachel Withers, Vox, "Hong Kong’s leader suspends China extradition bill following mass protests," 15 June 2019 Happy Birthday: Think big, but when making a commitment or taking on something new, slow down and take baby steps. Don’t feel pressured by what others do or say. — Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, "Horoscopes: June 14, 2019," 14 June 2019 The Chinese government is pressuring large U.S. technology companies to avoid aggressively acting on the U.S. trade restrictions. — Dan Strumpf, WSJ, "Huawei’s Booming Smartphone Business Is Dealt a Blow by U.S. Ban," 13 June 2019 Air quality regulators in Sacramento have been pressuring agencies, such as SANDAG to build more transit and promote denser development along rail and bus routes. — Charlie Neuman, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Many drivers in San Diego region would consider transit, other alternatives if they were more convenient, SANDAG study finds," 10 June 2019 Soybean farmers also are grappling with the impact of wet weather, and the market for their commodity has been pressured by the months-long U.S.-China trade war and tit-for-tat tariffs. — Alexandria Burris, Indianapolis Star, "With billions of dollars on the line, Indiana farmers scramble to get their crops planted," 10 June 2019 Facebook prohibits e-cigarette ads even with warnings and the FTC has been pressuring influencers — people with many social media followers who promote products and services — to disclose when they are being paid to endorse something. — NBC News, "FDA warns vaping companies about using social media 'influencers'," 7 June 2019 The United States has been pressuring allies to ban or restrict Huawei equipment from their 5G networks, citing national security concerns. — Sherisse Pham, CNN, "Nokia is fighting hard to steal Huawei's 5G crown," 4 June 2019 When troops did finally report Gallagher to a superior, they were pressured to keep the accusations to themselves. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Accused US war criminal Edward Gallagher is out on a technicality," 31 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pressure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.