Search Results
Advanced Search
List Builder
Random Word

pressure

You feel pressure when something presses on you –- whether a physical force or a stressful situation. If you don't crack under the pressure of witnessing the accident, you will calmly apply pressure on the driver's wound until help arrives.

The pressure of a looming deadline might cause you to finally get to work on an assignment. Pressure can also be a verb, like when your friend pressures you to go rock climbing despite your fear of heights. The rocks you would rather not climb were formed long ago by extreme heat and pressure. While climbing, your friend's blood pressure may rise right along with yours when she sees how clumsy you are.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: pressure

1	n v	the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"
2	n v	a force that compels exert pressure on someone through threats

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: pressure

n the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

“he used pressure to stop the bleeding”

Synonyms:: press, pressing

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; impression
the act of pressing one thing on or into the surface of another; compressing, compression
applying pressure; squeeze, squeezing
the act of gripping and pressing firmly; condensation, condensing
the act of increasing the density of something; compaction, crunch, crush
the act of crushing; constriction
the action or process of compressing

Type of:: push, pushing
the act of applying force in order to move something away

n the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)

“the compressed gas exerts an increased pressure”

Synonyms:: force per unit area, pressure level

Types:: show 19 types...; hide 19 types...; blood pressure
the pressure of the circulating blood against the walls of the blood vessels; results from the systole of the left ventricle of the heart; sometimes measured for a quick evaluation of a person's health; gas pressure
the pressure exerted by a gas; head
the pressure exerted by a fluid; hydrostatic head
the pressure at a given point in a liquid measured in terms of the vertical height of a column of the liquid needed to produce the same pressure; IOP, intraocular pressure
pressure exerted by the fluids inside the eyeball; regulated by resistance to the outward flow of aqueous humor; oil pressure
pressure that keeps oil on the moving parts of an internal-combustion engine; osmotic pressure
(physical chemistry) the pressure exerted by a solution necessary to prevent osmosis into that solution when it is separated from the pure solvent by a semipermeable membrane; corpuscular-radiation pressure, radiation pressure
the minute pressure exerted on a surface normal to the direction of propagation of a wave; instantaneous sound pressure, sound pressure
the difference between the instantaneous pressure at a point in a sound field and the average pressure at that point; suction
a force over an area produced by a pressure difference; vapor pressure, vapour pressure
the pressure exerted by a vapor; often understood to mean saturated vapor pressure (the vapor pressure of a vapor in contact with its liquid form); acoustic radiation pressure
(acoustics) the pressure exerted on a surface normal to the direction of propagation of a sound wave; air pressure, atmospheric pressure
the pressure exerted by the atmosphere; systolic pressure
the blood pressure (as measured by a sphygmomanometer) during the contraction of the left ventricle of the heart; diastolic pressure
the blood pressure (as measured by a sphygmomanometer) after the contraction of the heart while the chambers of the heart refill with blood; arterial pressure
the pressure of the circulating blood on the arteries; venous pressure
the pressure exerted on the walls of the veins by the circulating blood; hypertonicity
(of a solution) the extent to which a solution has a higher osmotic pressure than some other; hypotonicity
(of a solution) the extent to which a solution has a lower osmotic pressure than some other

Type of:: physical phenomenon
a natural phenomenon involving the physical properties of matter and energy

n the pressure exerted by the atmosphere

Synonyms:: air pressure, atmospheric pressure

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; barometric pressure
atmospheric pressure as indicated by a barometer; compartment pressure
the air pressure maintained in an air-tight compartment (as in an aircraft); overpressure
a transient air pressure greater than the surrounding atmospheric pressure; sea-level pressure
the atmospheric pressure reduced by a formula to the pressure at sea level

Type of:: gas pressure
the pressure exerted by a gas

n the somatic sensation that results from applying force to an area of skin

“the sensitivity of his skin to pressure and temperature was normal”

Synonyms:: pressure sensation

Type of:: somaesthesia, somatesthesia, somatic sensation, somesthesia
the perception of tactual or proprioceptive or gut sensations

v to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"

Synonyms:: coerce, force, hale, squeeze

Types:: show 8 types...; hide 8 types...; turn up the heat, turn up the pressure
apply great or increased pressure; drive
to compel or force or urge relentlessly or exert coercive pressure on, or motivate strongly; bludgeon
overcome or coerce as if by using a heavy club; steamroll, steamroller
bring to a specified state by overwhelming force or pressure; squeeze for
squeeze someone for money, information, etc.; dragoon, railroad, sandbag
compel by coercion, threats, or crude means; terrorise, terrorize
coerce by violence or with threats; bring oneself
cause to undertake a certain action, usually used in the negative

Type of:: compel, obligate, oblige
force somebody to do something

n a force that compels

“the public brought pressure to bear on the government”

Type of:: force
a powerful effect or influence

n an oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or economic distress

Type of:: distress
a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need)

n the state of demanding notice or attention

Synonyms:: imperativeness, insistence, insistency, press

Type of:: urgency
the state of being urgent; an earnest and insistent necessity

v exert pressure on someone through threats

Synonyms:: blackjack, blackmail

Type of:: act upon, influence, work
have and exert influence or effect

Learn Launch

WORD FAMILY

USAGE EXAMPLES