high-pressure

1 of 2

adjective

high-pres·​sure ˈhī-ˈpre-shər 

1

a

: having or involving a high or comparatively high pressure especially greatly exceeding that of the atmosphere

b

: having a high barometric pressure

2

a

: using or involving aggressive and insistent sales techniques

b

: imposing or involving severe strain or tension

high-pressure occupations

high-pressure

2 of 2

verb

high-pressured; high-pressuring; high-pressures

transitive verb

: to sell or influence by high-pressure tactics

Synonyms

Adjective

• aggressive
• ambitious
• assertive
• enterprising
• fierce
• go-getting
• in-your-face
• militant
• pushy
• self-asserting
• self-assertive

Examples of high-pressure in a Sentence

Adjective

a high-pressure salesman who wouldn't take "no" for an answer

"for a limited time only" and other standbys of high-pressure advertising

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Cold air associated with a high-pressure area will move over the Upper Midwest on Thursday, bringing temperatures 15 to 25 degrees below average over parts of the northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley, along with brutally cold wind chills. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

The Santa Ana winds, which originate inland from cool, high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin, routinely affect Southern California this time of year and help create wildfire conditions. —Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024

Verb

Chinese companies have developed a technique called high-pressure acid leaching that makes low-quality nickel usable in lithium-ion batteries. —Diego Lasarte, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2023

After losing to Washington State in the Pac-12 title game, Close realized the importance of emphasizing fun during the most high-pressure games of the season. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

high-pressure

1 of 2 adjective

1

a

: having or involving a high pressure especially much higher than that of the atmosphere

b

: having a high atmospheric pressure

2

: using or involving very aggressive sales techniques

high-pressure

2 of 2 verb

: to sell or influence by high-pressure methods