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pressure

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noun American English pronunciation: pressure /ˈpreʃər/ 
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singularpressure
pluralpressures
Other entries for this word
  1. 1
    [countable/uncountable] attempts to persuade, threaten, or force someone to do something
    pressure for:

    Pressure for political change increased in the 1990s.

    pressure on someone (to do something):

    There is now greater pressure on the White House to take action.

    be/come under pressure to do something:

    The military is still under pressure to reduce spending.

    under pressure from someone:

    Under pressure from France, Germany has finally dropped its proposals.

    put/exert pressure on someone (to do something):

    He did not put any pressure on her to take the job.

    give in to pressure/bow to pressure (=do what someone is trying to force you to do):

    He would not give in to pressure from his family to come home.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of pressure
  2. 2
    [countable/uncountable] a worried feeling that you get when you have to deal with a difficult or complicated situation
    pressure on:

    The pressure on prison guards is well documented.

    under pressure:

    With greatly increased workloads, everyone is under pressure now.

    stand the pressure (=be able to deal successfully with it):

    If you can't stand the pressure, you should resign.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of pressure
    1. a.
      a problem or situation that causes you to have this worried feeling

      the pressures of modern life

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of pressure
  3. 3
    [uncountable] a force pressing on someone or something

    She became conscious of the pressure of his hand on her shoulder.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of pressure
    1. a.
      [countable/uncountable] physics the amount of force that a gas or liquid produces in an area or container

      atmospheric/air/water pressure

      high/low pressure (=of the air in the atmosphere):

      an area of high pressure over the Atlantic

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of pressure
      See also  blood pressure
  4. 4

    pressures

     [plural] conditions that influence the way that events develop

    The influence in house-building reflects demographic pressures in this part of the country.

    inflationary pressures that may force interest rates to rise

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of pressure

This is the American English definition of pressure. View British English definition of pressure.

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