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presión

preh-SYOHN/pɾeˈsjon/

“presión” means “pressure” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

pressure, pressure

Also: stress, demand
NounfA2
A tiny, worried rabbit is sitting on the ground, overwhelmed by a huge stack of colorful, imposing geometric shapes pressing down near them, symbolizing stress and demanding situations.

📝 In Action

Siento mucha presión en el trabajo para terminar el proyecto.

A2

I feel a lot of pressure at work to finish the project.

El director ejerció presión sobre el equipo para que aceptaran el trato.

B1

The director put pressure on the team so they would accept the deal.

No te preocupes por la nota, no tienes que vivir bajo presión constante.

B1

Don't worry about the grade, you don't have to live under constant pressure.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • estrés (stress)
  • coacción (coercion)

Common Collocations

  • estar bajo presión – to be under pressure
  • ejercer presión – to exert pressure (on someone)

Idioms & Expressions

  • meter presión – to rush or press someone

pressure

Also: blood pressure, tension
NounfB1
A large, stylized hand is pressing down firmly on a bright yellow, bouncy ball, causing the ball to visibly compress and deform against a flat surface, illustrating physical force per unit area.

📝 In Action

Necesitas tomarte la presión arterial después de caminar.

B1

You need to take your blood pressure after walking.

La olla a presión cocina la carne mucho más rápido.

B1

The pressure cooker cooks the meat much faster.

A esta altitud, la presión atmosférica es mucho más baja.

B2

At this altitude, the atmospheric pressure is much lower.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • vacío (vacuum (lack of pressure))

Common Collocations

  • presión arterial – blood pressure
  • alta/baja presión – high/low pressure
  • presión atmosférica – atmospheric pressure

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: presión

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'presión' in its physical (force) sense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
presionar(to press, to pressure (verb)) — Verb
presurizar(to pressurize) — Verb
compresión(compression) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *pressio*, which means 'a pressing' or 'a burden.' It is built on the root of the verb *premere*, meaning 'to press.'

First recorded: Medieval Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

English: pressureFrench: pression

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'presión' countable? Can I say 'dos presiones'?

'Presión' is usually treated as an uncountable concept (like 'water' or 'air'). You would say 'mucha presión' (a lot of pressure) or 'diferentes tipos de presión' (different types of pressure), but rarely 'dos presiones'.

How do I say 'pressure cooker'?

The specific Spanish term is 'olla a presión,' literally 'pot at pressure.' This phrase is very common.