Synonyms of pressed

pressed 1 of 3

adjective

as in squeezed

Related Words

• squeezed
• crushed
• massed
• jammed
• crammed
• packed
• overcrowded
• compressed
• dense
• airtight
• wall-to-wall
• compacted
• crowded
• close
• compact
• thick
• serried
• tight
• snug
• condensed
• congested
• solid
• firm
• impervious
• hard
• impermeable
• jam-packed
• impenetrable

Dissimilar Words

• open
• loose
• airy
• spacious
• uncrowded
• commodious
• roomy

pressed

2 of 3

verb (1)

past tense of press

as in seized

to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right

the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• seized
• grabbed
• confiscated
• occupied
• converted
• claimed
• stole
• usurped
• appropriated
• preempted
• commandeered
• annexed
• snatched
• invaded
• assumed
• pirated
• arrogated
• took over
• attached
• expropriated
• looted
• grasped
• sequestered
• wrenched
• impounded
• preoccupied
• pillaged
• encroached
• repossessed
• despoiled
• collared
• trespassed
• infringed
• wrested
• misapplied
• embezzled
• misused
• peculated
• misappropriated

pressed

3 of 3

verb (2)

past tense of press

1

as in shoved

to push steadily against with some force

an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shoved
• compressed
• punched
• squeezed
• depressed
• weighed (on or upon)
• bore (down on)
• forced
• compelled
• stuffed
• pressured
• mashed
• thrust
• jammed
• squashed
• squished
• propelled
• muscled
• squooshed
• wedged
• crushed
• leaned (on or against)
• packed
• compacted
• constricted
• drove
• condensed
• contracted
• wrung
• scrunched
• crammed
• jam-packed

2

as in crushed

to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of

my family will only drink juice from freshly pressed oranges

Synonyms & Similar Words

• squeezed
• crushed
• mashed
• expressed
• extracted
• reamed
• extruded
• pulped
• pureed

3

as in huddled

to gather into a closely packed group

everyone pressed around me to see the pictures

Synonyms & Similar Words

• huddled
• piled
• crowded
• bunched
• clustered
• assembled
• swarmed
• flocked
• surrounded
• hugged
• converged
• convened
• herded
• collected
• encircled
• thronged
• concentrated
• congregated
• mobbed
• forgathered
• concentered
• conglomerated
• embraced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dispersed
• split (up)
• disbanded
• broke up

4

as in pushed

to force one's way

we continued to press deeper and deeper into the tangled rain forest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pushed
• squeezed
• shoved
• jammed
• jostled
• crashed
• elbowed
• bored
• muscled
• shouldered
• thrust
• bulled
• bulldozed
• rammed

5

as in compelled

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule

Synonyms & Similar Words

• compelled
• forced
• coerced
• obliged
• obligated
• pressured
• drove
• constrained
• impelled
• impressed
• muscled
• made
• dragooned
• blackjacked
• sandbagged
• intimidated
• blackmailed
• bullied
• threatened
• hectored
• dragged
• cowed
• badgered
• bulldozed
• twisted one's arm
• browbeat
• menaced
• shamed
• terrorized
• harassed
• hounded
• high-pressured

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• let
• allowed
• permitted
• moved
• convinced
• argued
• induced
• satisfied
• won (over)
• persuaded
• talked (into)
• prevailed (on or upon)

6

as in urged

to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action

pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• urged
• encouraged
• nudged
• prompted
• pushed
• prodded
• exhorted
• spurred
• goaded
• coaxed
• propelled
• egged (on)
• stimulated
• hurried
• drove
• rushed
• hustled
• implored
• pressured
• provoked
• beseeched
• importuned
• cajoled
• wheedled
• adjured
• needled
• nagged
• incited
• fomented
• instigated
• stirred (up)
• blandished
• soft-soaped
• high-pressured

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discouraged
• deterred
• checked
• constrained
• dissuaded
• restrained
• inhibited
• held back
• braked
• curbed

7

as in emphasized

to indicate the importance of by centering attention on

an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security

Synonyms & Similar Words

• emphasized
• highlighted
• stressed
• featured
• punctuated
• accented
• identified
• accentuated
• focused
• pointed (up)
• illuminated
• foregrounded
• played up
• promoted
• made much of
• bore down on
• advertised
• publicized
• spotlighted
• plugged
• pinpointed
• boosted
• overplayed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• played down
• minimized
• understated
• toned (down)
• de-emphasized
• discounted
• disparaged
• underemphasized
• belittled

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pressed

Adjective

How to factor vesting into career decisions You’d be hard-pressed to find a financial planner who’d advise against contributing enough to your plan to get a match — regardless of the vesting schedule. — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

At this breakneck pace, box office watchers are hard-pressed to predict where ticket sales will ultimately wind up. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026

In the kitchen, his reputation is impeccable; he’s known for bringing authentic Venetian cooking to a region hard-pressed to find it. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026

But even those people who dislike the very existence of private schools in big cities would be hard-pressed to make the case that the entire sector collectively makes up a torture chamber. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Anyone who had come to the Hill hoping to gain insights into the American-history museum’s actual philosophy or operations would have been hard-pressed to find them. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026

Food and drink You’ll be hard-pressed to find more atmospheric places to eat in Bloomsbury than at Ottie’s Salon. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026

With Spain’s elite defense controlling the pace, France will be hard-pressed to make a comeback in the final half-hour. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026

The pressed setting powder smooths, blurs, and evens out mature skin. — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 6 July 2026

Verb

Despite the emotional weight of that year, Vallejo and her husband pressed forward and launched the camp. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

Tillis had also pressed Blanche to meet with Epstein survivors amid scrutiny of the Justice Department’s handling of the files. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026

But when college recruiting began, DeGasperis — who, at this point, had learned to navigate the coexistence of golf and social media — was pressed to choose between the two. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Where the Eleousa pressed mother and child cheek to cheek and Cassatt enfolded mothers around their infants, de Monteflores goes further, disappearing the mother’s face entirely behind her child’s. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026

Ahead of him, his mother stopped, pressed the orange bottle to her lips, and drained whatever was in there. — Kyle Edwards, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2026

Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons later pressed Ludwig on his rationale for cutting the number of sites. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026

European soccer’s governing body UEFA has applied the most intense pressure by voting to boycott the World Cup if Infantino pressed ahead with FFE. — James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

The iron, ironing board, washtub for applying water to the clothes with a brush before they were pressed, and cutting table remained in the storefront now that Shoichiro had taken over the family business. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026