Pressure (n.) refers to the force per unit area exerted on an object, or the influence that causes a person to act or perform. It can be physical, social, emotional, or psychological, and may arise from constraints, expectations, or urgency. In everyday use, it describes both tangible pressure in material contexts and intangible pressure in decision-making or performance scenarios.
"The pressure from the rushing river tested the strength of the dam."
"During the exam, she felt intense pressure to finish on time."
"The team faced pressure to win, but stayed focused on their strategy."
"Public pressure led the company to change its policies."
Pressure comes from the Old French pressing, via Late Latin pressionem (nominative pressio), from the Latin pre—(forward) and pellere (to drive, push). The noun sense 'force per unit area' arose in the scientific sense in the 17th century with the physical concept of pressure in fluids and gases. The figurative sense of social or psychological pressure developed in English in the 18th and 19th centuries, expanding to describe influence, coercion, and urgency. Early English usage often related to mechanical force, evolving to include atmospheric pressure in scientific discourse (Boyle, 1662; Pascal). In modern usage, pressure covers both physical measurements (bar, pascal) and metaphorical pressure (public opinion, deadlines). The word’s semantic breadth reflects its core idea: an external or internal force that acts upon a system or person, prompting a response. First known use in English traces to Middle English with Latin roots, and the concept was formalized in science as experimental and mathematical rigor advanced during the Enlightenment. The evolution also includes idiomatic phrases like under pressure and pressure cooker, illustrating how the term migrated from physical science into everyday life.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Pressure" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Pressure"
-ure sounds
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Pronounce it as /ˈprɛʃər/ in US and UK; syllable 1 is stressed (PRE), with the /ɛ/ as in 'bed', followed by /ʃ/ as in 'ship', and the final schwa /ər/ in rhotic accents or /ə/ in non-rhotic. Mouth: lips relaxed, tip of tongue near the alveolar ridge for /pr/, then blade of tongue for /ʃ/. Audio reference: think of saying 'pre' quickly, then 'sure' with a soft 'r' in rhotic varieties.
Common errors: misplacing the /ʃ/ or turning /ʃər/ into /tʃə/ or /sə/. People may reduce the first syllable too much, making it /prɛ/ or drop the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, producing 'pressa'. Correction: keep the /p/ burst, ensure the /r/ after the vowel in US rhotics, and articulate /ʃ/ clearly by curling the tongue blade toward the palate. Practice with slow vowel transitions: /p/ - /r/ - /ɛ/ - /ʃ/ - /ə/.
In US and UK, /ˈprɛʃər/ is close; US rhotics preserve /r/ as /ɹ/ in coda, UK often non-rhotic in certain contexts but 'pressure' retains the /r/ in connected speech due to the following schwa. Australian tends to slightly dipthongize vowels and maintain a more flapped or tapped /t/ in rapid speech; still /ˈprɛʃə/ with a reduced final vowel. Focus on the /ɹ/ or /ə/ in rapid speech and the clear /ʃ/.
Two main challenges: the /ʃ/ cluster after the initial consonant and the final unstressed schwa, which can be reduced or omitted in fast speech. The sequence /r/ followed by /ɛ/ can blur in some accents, causing a wrong vowel length or an almost /ɪ/ sound. Mastery requires crisp /pr/ onset and a precise /ʃ/ production, then a clean, subdued final vowel. Use slow drills to separate the segments and feel the tongue move from alveolar to palatal.
The 'pressure' word has a distinct initial consonant cluster /pr/ followed by the voiceless palatoalveolar fricative /ʃ/. The glide from /r/ into the schwa can be soft in non-rhotic accents, but in rhotic accents you maintain postvocalic /ɹ/. This combination of a voiced initial vs. the voiceless fricative and the final unstressed schwa makes the rhythm light-heavy-light, with emphasis on the first syllable.
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