press
exert pressure or force to or upon
How often you will meet it
Rank 2,065 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 8,633 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.
What it means
verb
- exert pressure or force to or upon He pressed down on the boardspress your thumb on this spot
- force or impel in an indicated direction also: urge, urge on, exhort I urged him to finish his studies
- to be oppressive or burdensome also: weigh weigh heavily on the mindSomething pressed on his mind
- place between two surfaces and apply weight or pressure pressed flowers
- squeeze or press together also: compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, contract she compressed her lipsthe spasm contracted the muscle
- crowd closely The crowds pressed along the street
press in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Or hostile Millions press him to the Ground?
The Vanity of Human Wishes (1749) and Two · Samuel Johnson · Chapter 1
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When are soldiers like writers for the press?
Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 24, September 10, 1870 · Various · Chapter 1
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Every fly used his middle legs afterward to press and roll up into his basket his little store.
Piccolissima · Adélaïde de Montgolfier · Chapter 1
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Anxious as I was to hear the rest of his astounding narrative, I did not like to press him with questions.
Nonsense Novels · Stephen Leacock · Chapter 1
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He prepared to comply--but his first act was to place his hand on the more prominent features and press them together.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement — No. 271 · Various · Chapter 1