pressing
adjective
press·ing ˈpre-siŋ 
1
: urgently important : critical
a pressing issue
2
: earnest, warm
pressingly
ˈpre-siŋ-lē
adverb 
Synonyms
- acute
- burning
- clamant
- compelling
- critical
- crying
- dire
- emergent
- exigent
- imperative
- imperious
- importunate
- instant
- necessitous
- urgent
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a pressing need for reform she had pressing business on the other side of town
Recent Examples on the Web The loose ends of Brexit are just one of the issues that confront the new prime minister, and not necessarily even the most pressing. 
Dan Balz, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 Of the many challenges facing the new U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss, who officially replaced Boris Johnson on Tuesday, the country’s soaring energy crisis is by far the most pressing. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 Abstraction or nonfigurative art was held, if not in some disdain, at least as something less pressing. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 Floating along like a cloud may sound like a good plan at the moment, but there will probably be more pressing matters bringing you back down to earth. Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 Now on to more pressing matters: Chelsea Clinton likes Beyoncé. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 24 Aug. 2022 For now, Jameson is focused on the adjustments that can make a reality of his more pressing dream — becoming a major league starter. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 23 Aug. 2022 While the disclosure could impact Twitter's standing with regulators, users and even its board of directors, one of the most pressing immediate impacts could be on its case against Musk. Clare Duffy, CNN, 23 Aug. 2022 The council skips ahead to other worthy topics of discussion, perhaps most pressing of which is Prince Daemon’s new position as commander of the City Watch. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 21 Aug. 2022 See More
Dan Balz, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 Of the many challenges facing the new U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss, who officially replaced Boris Johnson on Tuesday, the country’s soaring energy crisis is by far the most pressing. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 Abstraction or nonfigurative art was held, if not in some disdain, at least as something less pressing. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 Floating along like a cloud may sound like a good plan at the moment, but there will probably be more pressing matters bringing you back down to earth. Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 Now on to more pressing matters: Chelsea Clinton likes Beyoncé. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 24 Aug. 2022 For now, Jameson is focused on the adjustments that can make a reality of his more pressing dream — becoming a major league starter. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 23 Aug. 2022 While the disclosure could impact Twitter's standing with regulators, users and even its board of directors, one of the most pressing immediate impacts could be on its case against Musk. Clare Duffy, CNN, 23 Aug. 2022 The council skips ahead to other worthy topics of discussion, perhaps most pressing of which is Prince Daemon’s new position as commander of the City Watch. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 21 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing pressing
Kids Definition
pressing
adjective
press·ing ˈpre-siŋ
: needing immediate attention
We have pressing business.
pressing 1 of 3
adjective
as in urgent
needing immediate attention she had pressing business on the other side of town Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- urgent
- acute
- burning
- critical
- crying
- emergent
- intense
- exigent
- imperative
- importunate
- insistent
- dire
- compelling
- desperate
- overriding
- instant
- serious
- demanding
- immediate
- clamant
- crucial
- imperious
- extreme
- vital
- dangerous
- hazardous
- severe
- explosive
- necessitous
- life-or-death
- grave
- precarious
- life-and-death
- perilous
- unstable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- incidental
- minor
- trivial
- noncritical
- unimportant
- negligible
- nonurgent
- stable
- safe
- low-pressure
- nonthreatening
pressing
2 of 3verb (1)
as in seizing
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car Synonyms & Similar Words
- seizing
- grabbing
- occupying
- confiscating
- converting
- usurping
- preempting
- stealing
- invading
- annexing
- commandeering
- snatching
- claiming
- appropriating
- pirating
- arrogating
- taking over
- attaching
- assuming
- looting
- expropriating
- encroaching
- grasping
- preoccupying
- sequestering
- repossessing
- pillaging
- wrenching
- impounding
- trespassing
- despoiling
- collaring
- infringing
- wresting
- peculating
- misusing
- misapplying
- embezzling
- misappropriating
pressing
3 of 3verb (2)
1
as in shoving
to push steadily against with some force an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard Synonyms & Similar Words
- shoving
- compressing
- squeezing
- punching
- depressing
- forcing
- mashing
- pressuring
- squishing
- squashing
- thrusting
- stuffing
- weighing (on or upon)
- bearing (down on)
- jamming
- squooshing
- compelling
- propelling
- wedging
- crushing
- muscling
- compacting
- packing
- scrunching
- wringing
- contracting
- condensing
- constricting
- driving
- cramming
- leaning (on or against)
- jam-packing
2
as in squeezing
to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of my family will only drink juice from freshly pressed oranges Synonyms & Similar Words
- squeezing
- mashing
- crushing
- expressing
- extracting
- extruding
- reaming
- pulping
- pureeing
- puréeing
3
as in huddling
to gather into a closely packed group everyone pressed around me to see the pictures Synonyms & Similar Words
- huddling
- crowding
- piling
- assembling
- bunching
- surrounding
- converging
- concentrating
- clustering
- swarming
- hugging
- collecting
- flocking
- thronging
- encircling
- convening
- herding
- conglomerating
- concentering
- congregating
- foregathering
- forgathering
- mobbing
- embracing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dispersing
- splitting (up)
- breaking up
- disbanding
4
as in pushing
to force one's way we continued to press deeper and deeper into the tangled rain forest Synonyms & Similar Words
- pushing
- squeezing
- shoving
- jamming
- jostling
- crashing
- thrusting
- shouldering
- elbowing
- boring
- bulldozing
- muscling
- bulling
- ramming
5
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule Synonyms & Similar Words
- forcing
- coercing
- compelling
- pressuring
- obliging
- driving
- obligating
- constraining
- making
- dragooning
- impressing
- muscling
- impelling
- blackmailing
- blackjacking
- dragging
- intimidating
- bullying
- sandbagging
- threatening
- browbeating
- cowing
- bulldozing
- badgering
- hounding
- hectoring
- twisting one's arm
- harassing
- terrorizing
- shaming
- menacing
- high-pressuring
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- letting
- permitting
- allowing
- moving
- arguing
- inducing
- talking (into)
- satisfying
- winning (over)
- prevailing (on or upon)
- persuading
- convincing
6
as in urging
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting Synonyms & Similar Words
- urging
- encouraging
- nudging
- pushing
- prodding
- prompting
- spurring
- coaxing
- exhorting
- goading
- propelling
- stimulating
- pressuring
- driving
- hurrying
- imploring
- egging (on)
- provoking
- importuning
- rushing
- beseeching
- cajoling
- hustling
- nagging
- wheedling
- adjuring
- blandishing
- fomenting
- needling
- inciting
- instigating
- high-pressuring
- soft-soaping
- stirring (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- restraining
- checking
- discouraging
- deterring
- constraining
- dissuading
- braking
- inhibiting
- curbing
- holding back
7
as in highlighting
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security Synonyms & Similar Words
- highlighting
- stressing
- emphasizing
- featuring
- punctuating
- foregrounding
- accenting
- focusing
- identifying
- accentuating
- playing up
- illuminating
- bearing down on
- focussing
- promoting
- spotlighting
- pinpointing
- publicizing
- advertising
- plugging
- making much of
- pointing (up)
- overplaying
- boosting
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- minimizing
- playing down
- de-emphasizing
- toning (down)
- underemphasizing
- discounting
- understating
- disparaging
- belittling