Pressure

Etymology

From Latin "pressura", from "premere" (to press). The physical sense — force per unit area — sits alongside the emotional one, “under pressure,” both from the idea of being pressed.

noun · /PRESH-er/
Force spread over an area — how concentrated a push is, not just how strong.
What it names
Why a sharp knife cuts and a flat hand does not with the same force: the same push over a smaller area means far greater pressure.
Example
Snowshoes work by lowering pressure: the same body weight spread over a larger area stops you sinking.
Related idea
Pressure is force divided by area, so it is distinct from force itself. A woman in stiletto heels exerts less total force than an elephant but far more pressure under each heel.
noun · /PRESH-er/
Mental or emotional strain arising from demands, expectations, or urgency.
What it names
the felt weight of stress.
Example
She thrives under the pressure of a deadline.
Related idea
Close kin to anxiety, but tied to an external demand rather than a vague threat.
verb · /PRESH-er/
To try insistently to coerce or persuade someone.
What it names
leaning on someone until they give way.
Example
They pressured him into signing.
Related idea
Applying force by degrees rather than all at once.