Meaning of pressure In English

• 0 the force you produce when you press something:

  • He put too much pressure on the door handle and it snapped.

  • You can stop bleeding by applying pressure close to the injured area.

  • gas/water pressure

  • The new material allows the company to make gas pipes which withstand higher pressures.

  • The gas is stored under pressure (= in a container which keeps it at a higher pressure than it would usually have).

• 1 the act of trying to make someone else do something by arguing, persuading, etc.:

  • public/political pressure

  • Teachers are under increasing pressure to work longer hours.

  • [ + to infinitive ] Pressure to abandon the new motorway is increasing.

  • The government is facing pressure from environmental activists.

  • The Defence Secretary resigned under pressure from the Prime Minister (= because the Prime Ministerforced him to).

  • She's putting pressure on him (= trying to persuade him) to get married.

  • formal The international community is trying to bring pressure to bear on the government (= trying to persuade them) to resolve the situation.

  • She's got a lot of pressure on her at work just now.

  • Be nice to him - he's been under a lot of pressure recently.

  • Can you work well under pressure?

  • the pressures of work

  • "These exams are the most important of all." "Oh, so no pressure then!"

  • Ryan Giggs put the home defence under pressure.

  • Playing four forwards puts too much pressure on the defence.

• 2 to strongly persuade someone to do something they do not want to do:

  • She was pressured into joining the club.

• 3 the force produced by pressing against something:

  • [ U ] air/blood/water pressure

• 4 a strong, often threatening influence on an organization or person:

  • [ C ] Competitive pressures will force the company to sell off its factories.

  • [ U ] They put a lot of pressure on him to resign.

• 5 worry and fear caused by the feeling that you have too many responsibilities and cares:

  • I like this job – there’s not so much pressure to produce every day.

• 6 a situation in which someone tries to make someone else do something by arguing, persuading, etc.:

  • public/political pressure

  • The guidelines were imposed under pressure from Congress.

• 7 a difficult situation, or the worried feeling that such a situation can give you:

  • pressure on sb She's got a lot of pressure on her at work just now.

  • He doesn't work well under pressure.

  • The pressures of work are making her depressed.

• 8 to put someone or something in a difficult situation, or to try and persuade or force someone to do something:

  • Analysts said the lack of supply would undoubtedly put pressure on prices.