pressure (redirected from pressures)

*under pressure 

1. and *under a deadline; *under the gun (about something) Fig. facing or enduring something such as pressure or a deadline. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) I have to get back to work. I am under a deadline. I am under a lot of pressure lately. The management is under the gun for the mistakes made last year.

2. [of a gas or liquid] being forced, squeezed, or compressed. (*Typically: be ~; deliver something ~; put something ~.) The gas in the pipes leading to the oven are under pressure.

high-pressure someone into something

Fig. to urge someone forcefully to do something. Here comes Jill. Watch out. She will try to high-pressure you into working on her committee. You can't high-pressure me into doing anything! I'm too busy!

pressure someone into something

to force someone into doing something. Please don't try to pressure me into taking that promotion. You can't pressure me into it. I won't do it!

push (oneself) off (on something)

[for someone in a boat] to apply pressure to something on the shore, thus propelling the boat and oneself away. The weekend sailor pushed himself off on the boat he had been moored to. We pushed off on the dock.

See also: push

push someone or something off (of) someone or something and push someone or something off

to apply pressure to and force someone or something off someone or something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) He continued to come at me, but I managed to push him off me and escape. I pushed off the attacker.

See also: push

push off and shove off

to leave. (As if one were pushing a boat away from a dock.) Well, it looks like it's time to push off. It's time to go. Let's shove off.

See also: push

put (the) pressure on someone (to do something)

to make demands on someone; to try to get someone to do something. Please don't put pressure on me to go there! We put the pressure on him to get him to come, but he refused.

See also: put

put pressure on something

to apply weight or pressure to something. (See also put (the) pressure on someone (to do something).) Put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. Put some pressure on the papers to flatten them out.

See also: put

take someone's blood pressure

to measure a person's blood pressure. The doctor takes my blood pressure every time I am in the office. Bob takes his blood pressure at home every day.

See also: blood, take

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push off

to leave The settlers who pushed off for the far west opened the land for farming.

See also: push

put pressure on somebody/something

to influence someone or something strongly, usually intentionally He's putting pressure on me to change my mind. New companies are putting pressure on established firms to lower their prices.

See also: put