pressure

pres|sure1 [ `preʃər ] noun ***

1. ) count or uncount 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 military 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.

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. ) count or uncount a worried feeling that you get when you have to deal with a difficult or complicated situation:

pressure on: The pressure on prison guards 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.

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

the pressures of modern life

3. ) uncount a force pressing on someone or something:

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

a ) count or uncount 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

=> BLOOD PRESSURE

b ) under pressure if a gas or liquid is under pressure, a large quantity of it is put into a container so that it comes out with force when the container is opened

4. ) pressures plural conditions that influence the way 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

pressure

pres|sure 2 [ `preʃər ] verb transitive

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.