pressed
/prest/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
- 1.
Under pressure because of little time, money, or other problems. It often describes a person who feels busy or worried.
- I'm pressed for time today.
- She felt pressed before the deadline.
- They were pressed by rising costs.
- 2.
Firmly put together, flattened, or made by pressing something down.
- Use pressed flowers for the card.
- He wore a pressed shirt.
- The juice was made from pressed apples.
verb
Past tense and past participle of press.
- She pressed the button twice.
- He pressed his hands together.
- They pressed for an answer.
Adinary Nuance
Pressed is close to words like busy, stressed, and hard-pressed, but it is not the same. Busy means you have many tasks; pressed means you are under pressure or short of time. In phrases like pressed for time, it sounds natural and common. It can also mean flattened, which those near-neighbors do not.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bận rộn
- Spanish
- apretado
- Chinese
- 时间紧
- Japanese
- 切迫した
- Korean
- 촉박한
Etymology
Pressed comes from Old French presser, from Latin pressare, meaning 'to press hard'. It entered English in Middle English and kept both physical and figurative uses.
Common phrases
pressed for timepressed flowerspressed shirthard-pressed
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is pressed the same as busy?
- Not exactly. Busy means you have many tasks. Pressed means you feel pressure or have too little time.
- Can I say 'I am pressed' in everyday English?
- Yes, but it sounds more formal than 'I'm busy'. It is common in writing and polite speech.
- What does 'pressed for time' mean?
- It means you do not have much time available.