The meaning of Pressing

adjective

(of an unpleasant or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree.

Usage examples:

An acute housing shortage

noun

Short for acute accent.

adjective

On fire.

Usage examples:

A burning building

verb

(of a fire) produce flames and heat while consuming a material such as coal or wood.

Usage examples:

A fire burned and crackled cheerfully in the grate

noun

A machine in which cloth or paper is pressed by rollers to glaze or smooth it.

verb

Press in a calender.

Usage examples:

The facing webs, with the elastomeric fibers between them, are calendered together thus adhering th…

verb

Grasp (something) tightly with one's hand.

Usage examples:

He clasped her arm

noun

A device with interlocking parts used for fastening things together.

Usage examples:

A gold bracelet with a turquoise clasp

verb

To hold someone or something firmly in your hands or arms

Usage examples:

He clasped the vase, afraid he would drop it., she had a firm clasp on her daughter’s hand.

verb

Grasp (something) tightly.

Usage examples:

He stood clutching a microphone

noun

A tight grasp.

Usage examples:

She made a clutch at his body

adjective

(in sport) denoting or occurring at a critical situation in which the outcome of a game or competition is at stake.

Usage examples:

They both are hard-nosed players who seem to thrive in clutch situations

adjective

Evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

Usage examples:

His eyes were strangely compelling

verb

Force or oblige (someone) to do something.

Usage examples:

A sense of duty compelled harry to answer her questions

adjective

Forceful and persuasive

Usage examples:

A compelling argument, his account of his life is one of the most compelling autobiographies i’ve r…

verb

Flatten by pressure; squeeze or press.

Usage examples:

The skirt can be folded and compressed into a relatively small bag

noun

A pad of lint or other absorbent material pressed on to part of the body to relieve inflammation or stop bleeding.

Usage examples:

A cold compress

verb

To press something into a smaller space

Usage examples:

Snow in the crater compresses into a fastest-growing glacier., firmly compress the dirt in the pot …

verb

Completely fill (a place or container) to the point of overflowing.

Usage examples:

The ashtray by the bed was crammed with cigarette butts

verb

Crowd or pack to capacity

adjective

Expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgements.

Usage examples:

I was very critical of the previous regime

adjective

Of the greatest importance

Usage examples:

Critical industries, what happens in the next 48 hours is critical., he was admitted to metropolita…

adjective

Extremely important to the progress or success of something

Usage examples:

Critical to/for sth logistics and distribution are critical to an e-commerce venture's success., cr…

adjective

Decisive or critical, especially in the success or failure of something.

Usage examples:

Negotiations were at a crucial stage

adjective

(of a decision or event) extremely important because many other things depend on it

Usage examples:

The behavior of the oceans is a crucial aspect of global warming., the band wants to win over fans …

verb

Compress or squeeze forcefully so as to break, damage, or distort in shape.

Usage examples:

The front of his car was crushed in the collision

noun

A crowd of people pressed closely together.

Usage examples:

A number of youngsters fainted in the crush

verb

To press something very hard so that it is broken or its shape is destroyed

Usage examples:

The package got crushed in the mail., her car was crushed by a falling tree., i was crushed because…

verb

Hold close in one's arms as a way of showing love or affection.

Usage examples:

He cuddles the baby close

noun

A prolonged and affectionate hug.

Usage examples:

He just wanted a comforting kiss and a cuddle

verb

To put your arms around someone and hold him or her in a loving way, or of two people, to hold each other close for affection or comfort

Usage examples:

[ t ] she cuddled the baby in her arms., [ i ] i like to cuddle up in front of the fireplace with a…

adjective

(of a task) requiring much skill or effort.

Usage examples:

She has a busy and demanding job

verb

Ask authoritatively or brusquely.

Usage examples:

‘where is she?’ he demanded

adjective

Needing a lot of attention, effort, or time

Usage examples:

I’m trying to learn english, and i find it very demanding.

verb

Make (someone) feel utterly dispirited or dejected.

Usage examples:

That first day at school depressed me

adjective

Feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with.

Usage examples:

A desperate sadness enveloped ruth

adjective

Showing a willingness to take any risk in order to change a bad or dangerous situation

Usage examples:

The ads are a desperate attempt to win last-minute votes., desperate criminals, there’s a desperate…

adjective

Extremely serious or urgent.

Usage examples:

Misuse of drugs can have dire consequences

adjective

Very serious or extreme

Usage examples:

Cheating will bring dire consequences.

adjective

Likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; radical and extreme.

Usage examples:

A drastic reduction of staffing levels

adjective

(of a change) severe and sudden; extreme

Usage examples:

In the desert there’s a drastic change in temperature from day to night., our lives changed drastic…

adjective

Severe and sudden, or having very noticeable effects

Usage examples:

He is not under pressure from his own electorate to do anything drastic., a drastic decline/drop/re…

verb

Hold (someone) closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection.

Usage examples:

Aunt sophie embraced her warmly

noun

An act of holding someone closely in one's arms.

Usage examples:

They were locked in an embrace

verb

To hold someone close to you with your arms to express affection, love, or sympathy, or when greeting or leaving someone

Usage examples:

[ i/t ] they embraced (each other) before saying good-bye., he has wholeheartedly embraced life in …

verb

Surround; envelop.

Usage examples:

He shut off the engine and silence enfolded them

verb

To closely hold or completely cover someone or something

Usage examples:

Enfold someone in your arms he enfolded her in his arms.

adjective

Reaching a high or the highest degree; very great.

Usage examples:

Extreme cold

noun

Either of two abstract things that are as different from each other as possible.

Usage examples:

We represented opposite extremes of college society—he a member of the old guard, i one of the radi…

noun

A folder or box for holding loose papers together and in order for easy reference.

Usage examples:

A file of correspondence

verb

Place (a document) in a cabinet, box, or folder in a particular order.

Usage examples:

The contract, when signed, is filed

verb

(of a group of people) walk one behind the other, typically in an orderly and solemn manner.

Usage examples:

The mourners filed into the church

noun

Strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement.

Usage examples:

He was thrown backwards by the force of the explosion

verb

Make a way through or into by physical strength; break open by force.

Usage examples:

The back door of the bank was forced

noun

A waterfall.

Usage examples:

At the village of west burton, two miles distant, is a fine force

verb

Seize and hold firmly.

Usage examples:

She grasped the bottle

noun

A firm hold or grip.

Usage examples:

The child slipped from her grasp

verb

Hold firmly

noun

A hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or dead body, typically marked by a stone or mound.

Usage examples:

The coffin was lowered into the grave

adjective

Giving cause for alarm; serious.

Usage examples:

A matter of grave concern

noun

Another term for grave accent.

verb

Squeeze (someone) tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection.

Usage examples:

He hugged her close to him

noun

An act of holding someone tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection.

Usage examples:

There were hugs and tears as they were reunited

verb

Squeeze tightly in your arms, usually with fondness

adjective

Of great significance or value.

Usage examples:

Important habitats for wildlife

adjective

Of great value, meaning, or effect

Usage examples:

An important discovery, [ + that clause ] it’s important that you tell the doctor all your symptoms…

noun

A strong, hard magnetic silvery-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 26, much used as a material for construction and manufacturing, especially in the form of steel.

Usage examples:

This shining metal was not raw iron but hard steel, which bent the softer wrought-iron blades of th…

verb

Smooth (clothes, sheets, etc.) with an iron.

Usage examples:

In fact, my mother and i also washed and ironed his clothes in case the minister has forgotten that…

noun

A small piece of shaped metal with incisions cut to fit the wards of a particular lock, which is inserted into a lock and turned to open or close it.

Usage examples:

There were two keys to the cupboard

adjective

Of crucial importance.

Usage examples:

She became a key figure in the suffragette movement

verb

Enter or operate on (data) by means of a computer keyboard or telephone keypad.

Usage examples:

Not everyone can key data quickly and accurately

verb

Put (something) down gently or carefully.

Usage examples:

She laid the baby in his cot

noun

Used with an abstract noun so that the phrase formed has the same meaning as the verb related to the noun used, e.g. ‘lay the blame on’ means ‘to blame’.

Usage examples:

She laid great stress on little courtesies

adjective

Not ordained into or belonging to the clergy.

Usage examples:

A lay preacher

phrasal verb

Rely on or derive support from someone or something.

Usage examples:

They have learned to lean on each other for support

phrasal verb

Put pressure on someone to act in a certain way.

Usage examples:

A determination not to allow the majority to lean on the minority

phrasal verb

To sit or stand with part of your body touching something as a support

Usage examples:

He leaned against the wall., she leaned her head on his shoulder., she leaned the brush against the…

adjective

Involving the possibility that someone will die

Usage examples:

We were now in a life-and-death situation., a life-and-death matter

noun

A small house at the gates of a park or in the grounds of a large house, occupied by a gatekeeper, gardener, or other employee.

Usage examples:

The house, the entrance lodge and garden of just over an acre comprise lot one.

verb

Present (a complaint, appeal, claim, etc.) formally to the proper authorities.

Usage examples:

He has 28 days in which to lodge an appeal

verb

To become fixed or cause something to become fixed in a place or position

Usage examples:

[ i ] a fish bone had lodged in her throat., [ t ] the explosion lodged some metal fragments in his…

adjective

Less high in position.

Usage examples:

The lower levels of the building

adverb

Denoting an older (and hence usually deeper) part of a stratigraphic division or archaeological deposit or the period in which it was formed or deposited.

Usage examples:

Lower cretaceous

verb

Move (someone or something) in a downward direction.

Usage examples:

He watched the coffin being lowered into the ground

adjective

Needed to be done, achieved, or present; essential.

Usage examples:

They granted the necessary planning permission

noun

The basic requirements of life, such as food and warmth.

Usage examples:

Not merely luxuries, but also the common necessaries

adjective

Needed in order to achieve a particular result

Usage examples:

Don’t take any more luggage than is strictly necessary., he lacks the necessary skills for the job.…

noun

A thin piece of metal with a sharp point at one end and a round head at the other, used for fastening pieces of cloth, paper, etc.

Usage examples:

One of them cleverly decorates a vase by drawing plant leaves using a sharp pin, while another shap…

verb

Attach or fasten with a pin or pins.

Usage examples:

He pinned the badge on to his lapel

noun

An identifying number allocated to an individual by a bank or other organization and used for validating electronic transactions.

noun

The outer part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers.

Usage examples:

Buglike, and reminding me of dragonfly wings were two long pinions, and just under them were two mo…

verb

Restrain or immobilize (someone) by tying up or holding their arms or legs.

Usage examples:

He was pinioned to the ground

noun

A small cogwheel or spindle engaging with a large cogwheel.

Usage examples:

It is used for railroad frogs, for steel mill coupling housings, pinions, spindles, and for dipper …

adjective

Of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else.

Usage examples:

Japan's pivotal role in the world economy

adjective

Important because other things depend on it

Usage examples:

She played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement.

adjective

If something is pivotal, it is very important because other things depend on it

Usage examples:

A pivotal moment/point the speech marked a pivotal moment in the world bank's history., because imm…

noun

A particular position, point, or area in space; a location.

Usage examples:

I can't be in two places at once

verb

Put in a particular position.

Usage examples:

A newspaper had been placed beside my plate

noun

An area, town, building, etc.

Usage examples:

Her garden was a cool pleasant place to sit., what was the name of that place we drove through on t…

verb

Make an emotional appeal.

Usage examples:

She pleaded with them not to gag the boy

verb

To make an urgent, emotional statement or request for something

Usage examples:

She appeared on television to plead for help in finding her child., to plead guilty/not guilty

verb

To say in a court of law if you are guilty or not guilty of something that you have been accused of

Usage examples:

Plead guilty/not guilty to sth they pleaded guilty to price-fixing and paid a $45 million fine.

verb

Like (one thing or person) better than another or others; tend to choose.

Usage examples:

I prefer venice to rome

verb

To choose or want one thing rather than another

Usage examples:

[ t ] we have tea and coffee, but perhaps you’d prefer a cold drink., [ t ] he prefers watching bas…

adjective

In a particular place.

Usage examples:

A doctor must be present at the ringside

noun

The period of time now occurring.

Usage examples:

They are happy and at peace, refusing to think beyond the present

verb

Give or award formally or ceremonially.

Usage examples:

The duke presented certificates to the men

noun

An uncastrated male sheep.

Usage examples:

Mr watkinson, from constable burton, near leyburn, won best male with his aged ram.

verb

Roughly force (something) into place.

Usage examples:

He rammed his stick into the ground

abbreviation

Random-access memory.

adjective

Demanding or characterized by careful consideration or application.

Usage examples:

Marriage is a serious matter

adjective

Not joking; not intended to amuse

Usage examples:

You can never tell when he’s serious., that’s an interesting job offer – i’d give it serious consid…

adjective

Having an even and regular surface; free from perceptible projections, lumps, or indentations.

Usage examples:

Smooth flat rocks

verb

Give (something) a flat, regular surface or appearance.

Usage examples:

She smoothed out the newspaper

adverb

In a way that is without difficulties.

Usage examples:

The course of true love never did run smooth

verb

Firmly press (something soft or yielding), typically with one's fingers.

Usage examples:

Kate squeezed his hand affectionately

noun

An act of squeezing something.

Usage examples:

A gentle squeeze of the trigger

Press firmly

noun

The vapour into which water is converted when heated, forming a white mist of minute water droplets in the air.

Usage examples:

A cloud of steam

verb

Give off or produce steam.

Usage examples:

A mug of coffee was steaming at her elbow

noun

The hot gas that is produced when water boils

Usage examples:

A steam engine, [ i ] the ship steamed out of the harbor.

verb

Accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person.

Usage examples:

The original settlers were forced to submit to bulgarian rule

verb

Yield to the control of another

adjective

Showing gentleness, kindness, and affection.

Usage examples:

He was being so kind and tender

verb

Offer or present (something) formally.

Usage examples:

He tendered his resignation as leader

noun

An offer to carry out work, supply goods, or buy land, shares, or another asset at a stated fixed price.

Usage examples:

We invited tenders for up to three more frigates

verb

Push suddenly or violently in a specified direction.

Usage examples:

She thrust her hands into her pockets

noun

A sudden or violent lunge with a pointed weapon or a bodily part.

Usage examples:

He drove the blade upwards with one powerful thrust

verb

To push suddenly and strongly

Usage examples:

[ t ] she thrust the money into his hand., [ i ] he thrust at me with a stick., [ c ] a sword thrus…

noun

The short, thick first digit of the human hand, set lower and apart from the other four and opposable to them.

Usage examples:

The most commonly affected digits are the thumb and index finger.

verb

Press, move, or touch (something) with one's thumb.

Usage examples:

As soon as she thumbed the button, the door slid open

noun

The short finger that is at an angle to the other fingers

Usage examples:

How did you cut your thumb?

verb

Try earnestly or persistently to persuade (someone) to do something.

Usage examples:

He urged her to come and stay with us

noun

A strong desire or impulse.

Usage examples:

He felt the urge to giggle

verb

To encourage someone strongly to do something or to ask that something be done

Usage examples:

Party leaders urged her to run for congress., a human/natural urge, sometimes i get an urge to go s…

adjective

Requiring immediate action or attention.

Usage examples:

An urgent demand for more state funding

adjective

Needing immediate attention

Usage examples:

The plumbing in this building is in urgent need of repair., there was a sense of urgency in her voi…

adjective

Very important and needing attention immediately

Usage examples:

He's got to sign that paper - will you tell him it's urgent?, the most urgent thing in a fire is to…

abbreviation

Verb.

noun

The twenty-second letter of the alphabet.

Usage examples:

The letter v has been assigned the number 4 in numerology.

noun

The chemical element of atomic number 23, a hard grey metal of the transition series, used to make alloy steels.

noun

A piece of wood, metal, etc. having one thick end and tapering to a thin edge, that is driven between two objects or parts of an object to secure or separate them.

Usage examples:

The door was secured by a wedge

verb

Fix in position using a wedge.

Usage examples:

The door was wedged open

verb

Prepare (pottery clay) for use by cutting, kneading, and throwing down to homogenize it and remove air pockets.

Usage examples:

The photo shows this as if you are facing the person wedging the clay.