pressure

I UK [ˈpreʃə(r)] / US [ˈpreʃər] noun
Word forms "pressure":
singular pressure plural pressures
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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 council 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.

bring pressure to bear on someone (to do something):

Officials were bringing pressure to bear on the government to stop the war.

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.

2)

a) [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 officers 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.

b) a problem or situation that causes you to have this worried feeling

the pressures of modern life

3)

a) [uncountable] a force pressing on someone or something

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

b) [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

See:

blood pressure

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

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- under pressure

II UK [ˈpreʃə(r)] / US [ˈpreʃər] verb [transitive]
Word forms "pressure":
present tense I/you/we/they pressure he/she/it pressures present participle pressuring past tense pressured past participle pressured

to try to make someone do something by forcing, threatening, or persuading them in a determined way

pressure someone into (doing) something:

Don't be pressured into making any rash decisions.

pressure someone to do something:

Officials had pressured her to lie about the affair.