From Old French -, from Latin pressūra.

• enPR: prĕshʹ-ə(r), IPA: /ˈpɹɛʃə(ɹ)/
  • (British) IPA: [ˈpɹɛʃ.ə(ɹ)]
  • (America) IPA: [ˈpɹɛʃ.ɚ]

pressure

1. A pressing; a force applied to a surface.

   Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.

2. A contrasting force or impulse of any kind

   the pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization.

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 16, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC ↗:

     When the pressure of danger was not felt.

3. Distress.

   She has felt pressure lately because her boss expects her to get the job done by the first.

   • 1649, Eikon Basilike:

     My people's pressures are grievous.

   • October 31, 1708, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd before the Queen at St. James's

     In the midst of his great troubles and pressures.

4. Urgency

   the pressure of business

5. (obsolete) Impression; stamp; character impressed.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene v]:

     All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past.

6. (physics) The amount of force that is applied over a given area divided by the size of this area; force per unit area.

• (distress) affliction, grievance
• (urgency) press

• French: pression
• German: Druck
• Italian: pressione
• Portuguese: pressão
• Russian: давле́ние
• Spanish: presión

• German: Druck
• Italian: spinta
• Portuguese: pressão
• Spanish: presión

• German: Druck
• Italian: pressione, impellenza, urgenza, tensione
• Portuguese: pressão
• Russian: давле́ние
• Spanish: presión

• French: pression
• German: Druck
• Italian: pressione
• Portuguese: pressão
• Russian: давле́ние
• Spanish: presión

pressure (pressures, present participle pressuring; simple past and past participle pressured)

1. (transitive) To encourage or heavily exert force or influence.

   Do not let anyone pressure you into buying something you do not want.

• German: unter Druck setzen
• Italian: fare pressione
• Spanish: presionar