1
a
: 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
4
a
: the action of a force against an opposing force
b
: the force or thrust exerted over a surface divided by its area
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
pressureless
adjective
pressured; pressuring
ˈpre-sh(ə-)riŋ 
Synonyms
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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Schecter, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023
Hospice wound care must prioritize the patient’s comfort over healing, and pressures to aggressively treat these wounds are contrary to what’s best for the patient’s overall suffering.
—Julie Roskamp, STAT, 24 Nov. 2023
The book had resonated for so many people, so the pressure of getting that right was enormous.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023
Beijing’s pressure tactics appear to have backfired, leaving the opposition parties struggling to convince voters that closer ties with Beijing are a good idea, compounded by long-term shifts in public opinion.
—Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Oil prices came under fresh pressure Thursday, after recent signs of discord among leading energy producers, while growing optimism about support for property developers helped lift stocks in Hong Kong and mainland China.
—Chelsey Dulaney, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
Another use of quantum information technology is quantum sensing: detecting and measuring physical properties like electromagnetic energy, gravity, pressure and temperature with greater sensitivity and precision than non-quantum instruments.
—Daniel Lidar, Discover Magazine, 23 Nov. 2023
Feeling the pressure as a child of immigrants from the Philippines, Cobarrubias enrolled in 1999 at UC Irvine with plans to study political science and become a lawyer.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023
This quartet of players are all feeling the pressure of time, aging bodies, and contractual complications, none of which are positive assets for the Clippers.
—Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Joshua Goodman, arkansasonline.com, 12 Nov. 2023
The Niners’ front, assisted by linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s improved health and able to pressure Lawrence into an interception by San Marcos’ Fred Warner, restated its case for best-in-class status by a slight margin over the NFC East-leading Eagles.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Nov. 2023
Freud saw the superego as a guardian that pressured the ego to resist the id’s impulses in order to fit social norms.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
His effort to pressure Swiss banks to make good on accounts belonging to victims of Nazi persecution that had been looted or wrongfully closed led to a $1.25 billion multistate settlement reached in 1998 and approved by a federal judge in 2000.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
In his motion, which was granted in October 2022, Raymond said his attorneys failed to investigate whether law enforcement violated his constitutional rights, claiming that he’d been pressured to give federal agents his phones’ passcodes.
—María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
According to The Athletic, Brock's parents stressed the importance of sports but didn’t pressure any of their kids to be perfect.
—Ale Russian, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023
Karten’s younger brother, Isidore, also a Columbia alumnus, is pressuring the department to do more.
—Jean Lee, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2023
The companies’ borrowing costs will also remain higher, squeezing their margins and pressuring smaller companies.
—WSJ, 1 Nov. 2023
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Noun
The final agreement — the outlines of which had been on the table for weeks — wouldn’t have been accepted by Netanyahu without enormous pressure from Biden, according to a senior Israeli government official.
—Anna Schecter, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023
Hospice wound care must prioritize the patient’s comfort over healing, and pressures to aggressively treat these wounds are contrary to what’s best for the patient’s overall suffering.
—Julie Roskamp, STAT, 24 Nov. 2023
The book had resonated for so many people, so the pressure of getting that right was enormous.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023
Beijing’s pressure tactics appear to have backfired, leaving the opposition parties struggling to convince voters that closer ties with Beijing are a good idea, compounded by long-term shifts in public opinion.
—Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Oil prices came under fresh pressure Thursday, after recent signs of discord among leading energy producers, while growing optimism about support for property developers helped lift stocks in Hong Kong and mainland China.
—Chelsey Dulaney, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
Another use of quantum information technology is quantum sensing: detecting and measuring physical properties like electromagnetic energy, gravity, pressure and temperature with greater sensitivity and precision than non-quantum instruments.
—Daniel Lidar, Discover Magazine, 23 Nov. 2023
Feeling the pressure as a child of immigrants from the Philippines, Cobarrubias enrolled in 1999 at UC Irvine with plans to study political science and become a lawyer.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023
This quartet of players are all feeling the pressure of time, aging bodies, and contractual complications, none of which are positive assets for the Clippers.
—Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Verb
One of the officials tried to pressure Jim Biden to repay the money by telling him that delinquency could embarrass his brother.
—Joshua Goodman, arkansasonline.com, 12 Nov. 2023
The Niners’ front, assisted by linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s improved health and able to pressure Lawrence into an interception by San Marcos’ Fred Warner, restated its case for best-in-class status by a slight margin over the NFC East-leading Eagles.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Nov. 2023
Freud saw the superego as a guardian that pressured the ego to resist the id’s impulses in order to fit social norms.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
His effort to pressure Swiss banks to make good on accounts belonging to victims of Nazi persecution that had been looted or wrongfully closed led to a $1.25 billion multistate settlement reached in 1998 and approved by a federal judge in 2000.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
In his motion, which was granted in October 2022, Raymond said his attorneys failed to investigate whether law enforcement violated his constitutional rights, claiming that he’d been pressured to give federal agents his phones’ passcodes.
—María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
According to The Athletic, Brock's parents stressed the importance of sports but didn’t pressure any of their kids to be perfect.
—Ale Russian, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023
Karten’s younger brother, Isidore, also a Columbia alumnus, is pressuring the department to do more.
—Jean Lee, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2023
The companies’ borrowing costs will also remain higher, squeezing their margins and pressuring smaller companies.
—WSJ, 1 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pressure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin pressura, from Latin, action of pressing, pressure, from pressus, past participle of premere
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of pressure was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing pressure
Dictionary Entries Near pressure
Cite this Entry
“Pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressure. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
pressure
1 of 2 noun
pres·sure
ˈpresh-ər
1
: a force or influence that cannot be avoided
social pressure
2
: the application of force to something by something else in direct contact with it
keep steady pressure on the gas pedal
3
a
: the action of a force against an opposing force
b
: the force applied over a surface divided by its area
c
: the force exerted as a result of the weight of the atmosphere
4
: the stress or burden of matters demanding attention
works well under pressure
Medical Definition
pressure
noun
pres·sure
ˈpresh-ər
1
: the burden of mental or physical distress especially from grief, illness, or adversity
2
: the application of force to something by something else in direct contact with it : compression
3
a
: the action of a force against some opposing force : a force in the nature of a thrust distributed over a surface
b
: the force or thrust exerted over a surface divided by the area of the surface
6
: a touch sensation aroused by moderate compression of the skin
More from Merriam-Webster on pressure
Nglish: Translation of pressure for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pressure for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pressure
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