noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpɹɛʃə/
Received-Pronunciation:[ˈphɹwɛʃ.ə]
Singapore:/ˈpɹɛʒə/
General-American:/ˈpɹɛʃɚ/
General-American:[ˈphɹwɛʃ.ɚ] ~ [ˈphɹwɛʃ.ɹ̩]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛʃə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:P R EH1 SH ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A pressing; a force applied to a surface.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The amount of force that is applied over a given area divided by the size of this area; force per unit area.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
an oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or economic distress
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: distress
17
verb
Meaning 17
to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She forced him to take a job in the city
He squeezed her for information
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: coerce, hale, squeeze, force
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: compel, oblige, obligate
Narrower terms: turn up the heat, turn up the pressure, drive, bludgeon, steamroller, steamroll, squeeze for, dragoon, sandbag, railroad, terrorize, terrorise, bring oneself
18
verb
Meaning 18
exert pressure on someone through threats
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: blackmail, blackjack
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: influence, act upon, work
History
Etymology
From Latin pressūra.
Across languages
Translations
180 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
ضَغْط
(ḍaḡṭ)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Azerbaijani:
təzyiq
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Azerbaijani:
basqı
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Bashkir:
баҫым
(baśım)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Belarusian:
на́ціск
(nácisk)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Bulgarian:
наля́гане
(naljágane)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Catalan:
pressió
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Finnish:
paine
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Finnish:
puristus
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
French:
pression
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Galician:
presión
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Georgian:
წნევა
(c̣neva)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Georgian:
წნეხა
(c̣nexa)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
German:
Druck
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Greek:
πίεση
(píesi)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Hebrew:
לחץ \ לַחַץ
(lákhats)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Hindi:
दबाव
(dabāv)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Hindi:
दाब
(dāb)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Hungarian:
nyomás
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Italian:
pressione
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Japanese:
圧力
(atsuryoku)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Northern Kurdish:
pesto
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Latin:
pressūra
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Latin:
pressiō
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Latin:
nīsus
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Latin:
nīxus
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Latvian:
spiediens
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Māori:
pēhanga
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Plautdietsch:
Druck
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Polish:
nacisk
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Polish:
ucisk
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Polish:
napór
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Portuguese:
pressão
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Russian:
давле́ние
(davlénije)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Russian:
нажи́м
(nažím)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Spanish:
presión
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Swedish:
tryck
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Tagalog:
bunto
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Ukrainian:
тиск
(tysk)
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Welsh:
pwysedd
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Welsh:
gwasgedd
— a pressing; force applied to a surface
Azerbaijani:
təzyiq
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Bashkir:
баҫым
(baśım)
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Bulgarian:
наля́гане
(naljágane)
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Catalan:
pressió
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Finnish:
taakka
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Finnish:
paine
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Galician:
presión
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
German:
Druck
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Italian:
spinta
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Japanese:
圧力
(atsuryoku)
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Norwegian Bokmål:
påtrykk
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Norwegian Nynorsk:
påtrykk
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Polish:
presja
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Polish:
przymus
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Portuguese:
pressão
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind
Spanish:
presión
— a contrasting force or impulse of any kind