SG Heritage Dictionary

Pressure [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. The act of pressing or urging with force.

2. The act of squeezing or crushing. Wine is obtained by the pressure of grapes.

3. The state of being squeezed or crushed.

4. The force of one body acting on another by weight or the continued application of power. pressure is occasioned by weight or gravity, by the motion of bodies, by the expansion of fluids, by elasticity, etc. Mutual pressure may be caused by the meeting of moving bodies, or by the motion of one body against another at rest, and the resistance or elastic force of the latter. The degree of pressure is in proportion to the weight of the pressing body, or to the power applied, or to the elastic force of resisting bodies. The screw is a most powerful instrument of pressure The pressure of wind on the sails of a ship is in proportion to its velocity.

5. A constraining force or impulse; that which urges or compels the intellectual or moral faculties; as the pressure of motives on the mind, or of fear on the conscience.

6. That which afflicts the body or depresses the spirits; any severe affliction, distress, calamity or grievance; straits, difficulties, embarrassments, or the distress they occasion. We speak of the pressure of poverty or want, the pressure of debts, the pressure of taxes, the pressure of afflictions or sorrow.

7. My own and my people's pressures are grievous.

8. To this consideration he retreats with comfort in all his pressures.

9. We observe that pressure is used both for trouble or calamity, and for the distress it produces.

10. Urgency; as the pressure of business.

11. Impression; stamp; character impressed.

12. All laws of books, all forms, all pressures past.

Pressure [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. The act of pressing, or the condition of being pressed; compression; a squeezing; a crushing; as, a pressure of the hand.

2. A contrasting force or impulse of any kind; as, the pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization.

3. Affliction; distress; grievance.

4. Urgency; as, the pressure of business.

5. Impression; stamp; character impressed.

6. The action of a force against some obstacle or opposing force; a force in the nature of a thrust, distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference to the upon a unit's area.

Power Roget’s Thesaurus §157

N. power, potency, potentiality, jiva, puissance, might, force, energy, dint, right hand, right arm, ascendency, sway, control, prepotency, prepollence|, almightiness, omnipotence, authority, strength, ability, ableness, competency, efficacy, efficiency, productivity, expertise (skill) 698, validity, cogency, enablement, vantage ground, influence, pressure, conductivity, elasticity, gravity, electricity, magnetism, galvanism, voltaic electricity, voltaism, electromagnetism, atomic power, nuclear power, thermonuclear power, fuel cell, hydraulic power, water power, hydroelectric power, solar power, solar energy, solar panels, tidal power, wind power, attraction, vis inertiae, vis mortua, vis viva, potential energy, dynamic energy, dynamic friction, dynamic suction, live circuit, live rail, live wire, capability, capacity, quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent, faculty, quality, attribute, endowment, virtue, gift, property, qualification, susceptibility

V. be powerful, gain power, belong to, pertain to, lie in one's power, be in one's power, can, be able, give power, confer power, exercise power, empower, enable, invest, indue, endue, endow, arm, strengthen, compel

Adj. powerful, puissant, potential, capable, able, equal to, up to, cogent, valid, efficient, productive, effective, effectual, efficacious, adequate, competent, multipotent, plenipotent, omnipotent, almighty, forcible, (energetic) 171, influential, productive

Adv. powerfully, by virtue of, by dint of

Phr. a toute force, δός μοι ποῦ στῶ καὶ κινῶ τὴν γῆν, eripuit cœlo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis, fortis cadere cedere non potest

Influence Roget’s Thesaurus §175

N. influence, importance, weight, pressure, preponderance, prevalence, sway, predominance, predominancy, ascendency, dominance, reign, control, domination, pull*, authority, capability, effect, interest, synergy (cooperation) 709, footing, purchase, play, leverage, vantage ground, tower of strength, host in himself, protection, patronage, auspices

V. have -influence, be -influential, carry weight, weigh, tell, have a hold upon, magnetize, bear upon, gain a footing, work upon, take root, take hold, strike root in, run through, pervade, prevail, dominate, predominate, out weigh, over weigh, over-ride, over-bear, gain head, rage, be -rife, spread like wildfire, have the upper hand, get the upper hand, gain the upper hand, have full play, get full play, gain full play, be recognized, be listened to, make one's voice heard, gain a hearing, play a part, play a leading part, play a leading part in, take the lead, pull the strings, turn the scale, throw one's weight into the scale, set the fashion, lead the dance

Adj. influential, effective, important, weighty, prevailing, prevalent, rife, rampant, dominant, regnant, predominant, in the ascendant, hegemonical

Adv. with telling effect

Phr. tel maure tel valet

Gravity Roget’s Thesaurus §319

N. gravity, gravitation, weight, heaviness, # specific gravity, pondorosity, pressure, load, burden, burthen, ballast, counterpoise, lump of, mass of, weight of, lead, millstone, mountain, ossa on pelion, weighing, ponderation, trutination|, weights, avoirdupois weight, troy weight, apothecaries' weight, grain, scruple, drachma, ounce, pound, lb, arroba, load, stone, hundredweight, cwt, ton, long ton, metric ton, quintal, carat, pennyweight, tod, gram, centigram, milligram, microgram, kilogram, nanogram, picogram, femtogram, attogram, balance, scale, scales, steelyard, beam, weighbridge, spring balance, piezoelectric balance, analytical balance, two-pan balance, one-pan balance, postal scale, baby scale, statics

V. be heavy, gravitate, weigh, press, cumber, load, weigh, poise

Adj. weighty, weighing, heavy as lead, ponderous, ponderable, lumpish, lumpy, cumbersome, burdensome, cumbrous, unwieldy, massive, incumbent, superincumbent

Importance Roget’s Thesaurus §642

N. importance, consequence, moment, prominence, consideration, mark, materialness, import, significance, concern, emphasis, interest, greatness, superiority, notability, weight, value, usefulness, gravity, seriousness, solemnity, no joke, no laughing matter, pressure, urgency, stress, matter of life and death, memorabilia, notabilia, great doings, red-letter day, great thing, great point, main chance, "the be all and the end all", cardinal point, substance, gist, sum and substance, gravamen, head and front, important part, principal part, prominent part, essential part, half the battle, sine qua non, breath of one's nostrils, cream, salt, core, kernel, heart, nucleus, keynote, keystone, corner stone, trump card, salient points, top sawyer, first fiddle, prima donna, chief, triton among the minnows, "it"

V. be important, be somebody, be something, import, signify, matter, boot, be an object, carry weight, make a figure, be in the ascendant, come to the front, lead the way, take the lead, play first fiddle, throw all else into the shade, lie at the root of, deserve notice, merit notice, be worthy of notice, be worthy of regard, be worthy of consideration, attach importance to, ascribe importance to, give importance to, value, care for, set store upon, set store by, mark, mark with a white stone, underline, write in italics, put in italics, print in italics, print in capitals, print in large letters, put in large type, put in letters, of gold, accentuate, emphasize, lay stress on, make a fuss about, make a fuss over, make a stir about, make a piece of work about, make much ado about, make much ado of, make much of

Adj. important, of importance, momentous, material, to the point, not to be overlooked, not to be despised, not to be sneezed at, egregious, weighty, of note, notable, prominent, salient, signal, memorable, remarkable, unforgettable, worthy of remark, worthy of notice, never to be forgotten, stirring, eventful, grave, serious, earnest, noble, grand, solemn, impressive, commanding, imposing, urgent, pressing, critical, instant, paramount, essential, vital, all-absorbing, radical, cardinal, chief, main, prime, primary, principal, leading, capital, foremost, overruling, of vital &c. importance, in the front rank, first-rate, superior, considerable, marked, rare, significant, telling, trenchant, emphatic, pregnant, tanti

Adv. materially, in the main, above all, κατ’ ἐξοχήν, par excellence, to crown all, to beat all

Phr. expende hannibalem, [Lat] [Juvenal]

Adversity Roget’s Thesaurus §735

N. adversity, evil, failure, bad luck, ill luck, evil luck, adverse luck, hard fortune, hard hap, hard luck, hard lot, frowns of fortune, evil dispensation, evil star, evil genius|, vicissitudes of life, ups and downs of life, broken fortunes, hard case, hard lines, hard life, sea of troubles, peck of troubles, hell upon earth, slough of despond, trouble, hardship, curse, blight, blast, load, pressure, pressure of the times, iron age, evil day, time out of joint, hard times, bad times, sad times, rainy day, cloud, dark cloud, gathering clouds, ill wind, visitation, infliction, affliction, bitter pill, care, trial, the sport of fortune, mishap, mischance, misadventure, misfortune, disaster, calamity, catastrophe, accident, casualty, cross, reverse, check, contretemps, rub, backset, comedown, setback, losing game, falling, fall, downfall, ruination, ruinousness, undoing, extremity, ruin

V. be ill off, go hard with, fall on evil, fall on evil days, go on ill, not prosper, go downhill, go to rack and ruin, go to the dogs, fall, fall from one's high estate, decay, sink, decline, go down in the world, have seen better days, bring down one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, come to grief, be all over, be up with, bring a wasp's nest about one's ears, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears

Adj. unfortunate, unblest, unhappy, unlucky, improsperous, unprosperous, hoodooed, luckless, hapless, out of luck, in trouble, in a bad way, in an evil plight, under a cloud, clouded, ill off, badly off, in adverse circumstances, poor, behindhand, down in the world, decayed, undone, on the road to ruin, on its last legs, on the wane, in one's utmost need, planet-struck, devoted, born under an evil star, born with a wooden ladle in one's mouth, ill-fated, ill-starred, ill-omened, adverse, untoward, disastrous, calamitous, ruinous, dire, deplorable

Excitation Roget’s Thesaurus §824

N. excitation of feeling, mental excitement, suscitation, galvanism, stimulation, piquance, piquancy, provocation, inspiration, calling forth, infection, animation, agitation, perturbation, subjugation, fascination, intoxication, enravishment, entrancement, pressure, tension, high pressure, unction, impressiveness, trail of temper, casus belli, irritation, passion, thrill, repression of feeling, sensationalism, yellow journalism

V. excite, affect, touch, move, impress, strike, interest, animate, inspire, impassion, smite, infect, stir the blood, fire the blood, warm the blood, set astir, wake, awake, awaken, call forth, evoke, provoke, raise up, summon up, call up, wake up, blow up, get up, light up, raise, get up the steam, rouse, arouse, stir, fire, kindle, enkindle, apply the torch, set on fire, inflame, stimulate, exsuscitate|, inspirit, spirit up, stir up, work up, pique, infuse life into, give new life to, bring new blood, introduce new blood, quicken, sharpen, whet, work upon, hurry on, give a fillip, put on one's mettle, fan the fire, fan the flame, blow the coals, stir the embers, fan into a flame, foster, heat, warm, foment, raise to a fever heat, keep up, keep the pot boiling, revive, rekindle, rake up, rip up, stir the feelings, play on the feelings, come home to the feelings, touch a string, touch a chord, touch the soul, touch the heart, go to one's heart, penetrate, pierce, go through one, touch to the quick, possess the soul, pervade the soul, penetrate the soul, imbrue the soul, absorb the soul, affect the soul, disturb the soul, absorb, rivet the attention, sink into the mind, sink into the heart, prey on the mind, distract, intoxicate, overwhelm, overpower, bouleverser, upset, turn one's head, fascinate, enrapture, agitate, perturb, ruffle, fluster, shake, disturb, startle, shock, stagger, give one a shock, give one a turn, strike all of a heap, stun, astound, electrify, galvanize, petrify, irritate, sting, cut to the heart, cut to the quick, try one's temper, fool to the top of one's bent, pique, infuriate, madden, make one's blood boil, lash into fury, be excited, flush up, flare up, catch the infection, thrill, mantle, work oneself up, seethe, boil, simmer, foam, fume, flame, rage, rave, run mad

Adj. excited, wrought up, up the qui vive, astir, sparkling, in a quiver, in a fever, in a ferment, in a blaze, in a state of excitement, in hysterics, black in the face, overwrought, tense, taught, on a razor's edge, hot, red-hot, flushed, feverish, all of a twitter, in a pucker, with quivering lips, with tears in one's eyes, flaming, boiling over, ebullient, seething, foaming at the mouth, fuming, raging, carried away by passion, wild, raving, frantic, mad, distracted, beside oneself, out of one's wits, ready to burst, bouleverse, demoniacal, lost, eperdu, tempest-tossed, haggard, ready to sink, stung to the quick, up, on one's high ropes, exciting, absorbing, riveting, distracting, impressive, warm, glowing, fervid, swelling, imposing, spirit-stirring, thrilling, high- wrought, soul-stirring, soul-subduing, heart-stirring, heart-swelling, heart-thrilling, agonizing, telling, sensational, hysterical, overpowering, overwhelming, more than flesh and blood can bear, yellow, piquant, spicy, appetizing, provocative, provoquant, tantalizing, eager to go, anxious to go, chafing at the bit

Adv. till one is black in the face

Phr. the heart beating high, the heart going pitapat, the heart leaping into one's mouth, the blood being up, the blood boiling in one's veins, the eye glistening - "in a fine frenzy rolling", the head turned, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going"