Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

compress

/ˈkɑmpɹɛs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.07 in modern English

Syllables
com-press
IPA
/ˈkɑmpɹɛs/
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume.

Transitive verb

verb

To be pressed together or folded by compression into a more economic, easier format.

Intransitive verb

verb

To condense into a more economic, easier format.

Transitive verb

verb

To abridge.

Transitive verb

verb

To make digital information smaller by encoding it using fewer bits.

Transitive verb

verb

To make a pulse or particle bunch shorter by applying dispersion to it.

Transitive verb

verb

To embrace sexually.

Obsolete

noun

A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice, etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English compressen, from Old French compresser, from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprimō (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + premō (“press”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: compressen, compresser, compressare, compressus, compresse

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈkɑmpɹɛs/
  • British English: /ˈkɒmpɹɛs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

compresses (present, singular) compressing (participle, present) compressed (participle, past) compressed (past) compresses (plural)

Derived Forms

compressed compressedly compressibility compressible compressingly compression compressive compressor compressure decompress overcompress precompress

Phrases

compressed air compressive strength

Frequently Paired Words

compression thicken

Synonyms

compact condense pack press squash squeeze contract abridge shorten truncate abbreviate chop down

Antonyms

expand decontract lengthen uncompress decompress unzip stretch decompact decompactify densen

Rhymes With

yes less process guess press success access second-guess bad press unless address congress

Questions

How do you pronounce compress?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɑmpɹɛs/.
What does compress mean?
To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume.
Where does compress come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce compress

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “compress”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɑmpɹɛs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “compress”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “compress” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.