Word of the Day

: June 29, 2022

duress

play
noun dur-RESS

What It Means

Duress, which is typically used with under, refers to force or threats meant to make someone do something. It is used especially of unlawful constraint.

// The defense asserts that the defendant's confession was made under duress.

See the entry >

duress in Context

"The ordinance ... was passed under duress by council members who believed that it would never be implemented." — Gilbert Garcia, The San Antonio (Texas) Express-News Online, 20 May 2022


Did You Know?

Duress is most often paired with the word under to refer to force or threats meant to make someone do something. For example, someone forced to sign a document signs it “under duress,” and a person held “under duress” is not free to leave but is being constrained, usually unlawfully. (Do not confuse being “under duress” with being “under stress,” which is a much more common occurrence.) Duress is ultimately from Latin durus, meaning "hard," source too of durable and endure.



Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to complete a synonym of duress: c _ _ rc _ on.

VIEW THE ANSWER

Podcast


More Words of the Day

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!