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
Recent Examples on the Web
Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Instead, China is likely to keep up military and other pressure on Taiwan, as well as pressing its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
The letter represents another bid by Democrats to push the administration to pressure Israel to pare back its attacks in Lebanon.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pressure 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Holley identified risks related to geopolitical events, supply chain disruptions, and inflationary pressures that could impact future operations.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Instead, China is likely to keep up military and other pressure on Taiwan, as well as pressing its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
The sitting President, in his eighties and visibly declining, had to be pressured into leaving the ticket; the Party no longer offers a signature policy at the scale of Obamacare or even a Green New Deal.
—The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
The letter represents another bid by Democrats to push the administration to pressure Israel to pare back its attacks in Lebanon.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pressure
Dictionary Entries Near pressure
Cite this Entry
“Pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressure. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share