pressure
8 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
pressures
plural
pressures
Britannica Dictionary definition of PRESSURE
1
a
:
the weight or force that is produced when something presses or pushes against something else
—
see also blood pressure
[noncount]
-
Keep steady pressure on the cap as you turn it. [=press on the cap as you turn it]
-
Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.
-
the pressure of the compressed air inside the chamber
-
high/low water pressure [=a force that makes a flow of water strong/weak]
-
Check the car's tire pressure. [=the amount of air inside the tires]
-
The contents of the bottle are under pressure. [=the contents are tightly pressed into the bottle]
[singular]
-
The animal's jaws can exert a pressure of more than 750 pounds per square inch.
b
[noncount]
:
the action of pressing or pushing against something
-
The horse will respond to the slightest pressure of a rider's knee.
-
The fruit yields to gentle pressure when it's ripe.
2
[noncount]
:
the weight of the air in the Earth's atmosphere
-
the normal air pressure at sea level
-
atmospheric pressure
-
Pressure fell [=the air became lighter] as the storm approached.
-
An area of high/low pressure [=heavy/light air] is moving over the west coast.
3
:
the force that you feel when people are trying to persuade or force you to do something by using arguments, threats, etc.
—
see also peer pressure
[noncount]
-
He felt pressure from his father to become a doctor. = His father put pressure on him to become a doctor. [=his father was trying to persuade/force him to become a doctor]
-
The mayor is under pressure to resign. [=people are trying to force the mayor to resign]
[count]
-
He gave in to the social pressures to act and dress like everybody else.
-
She felt a constant pressure to earn more money.
4
:
a feeling of stress or anxiety because you have too much to do or because people are depending on you for something
—
see also high-pressure
[count]
-
She was dealing with the pressures of everyday life.
[noncount]
-
Can he handle the pressure of the job?
-
She's been experiencing a lot of pressure at work lately.
-
They both work well under pressure. [=they work well when the job is stressful]
-
Her job is high pressure. [=her job is very stressful]
2
pressure
/ˈprɛʃɚ/
verb
pressures;
pressured;
pressuring
2
pressure
/ˈprɛʃɚ/
verb
pressures;
pressured;
pressuring
Britannica Dictionary definition of PRESSURE
[+ object]
chiefly US
:
to use pressure to force or try to force (someone) to do something
— often followed by into + -ing verb
— often followed by to + verb
— often used as (be) pressured
-
The defense pressured the quarterback into throwing a bad pass.
-
They pressured him into resigning. [=they forced him to resign]
-
They're pressuring him to make a decision.
-
They pressured him to resign. [=they tried to force him to resign by putting pressure on him]
-
Doctors are being pressured by the insurance companies.
-
She felt pressured to make a decision.
