pressure
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The force applied to a unit area of surface.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
prehsherSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɹɛʃɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
physics
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.”
physics
The somatic sensation that results from applying force to an area of skin
“The sensitivity of his skin to pressure and temperature was normal.”
A pressing; a force applied to a surface.
physics
The amount of force that is applied over a given area divided by the size of this area; force per unit area.
physics
A force that compels
An oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or economic distress
verb
transitive
To encourage or heavily exert force or influence.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
Used this way, pressure is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a scientific use: it names something precisely within a field of study, so it appears in research and teaching more than in conversation.
“The compressed gas exerts an increased pressure.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Science
- Academic writing
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use pressure
- “Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.”noun
- “She has felt pressure lately because her boss expects her to get the job done by the first.”noun
- “Do not let anyone pressure you into buying something you do not want.”verb
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.