To press meaning in English
Learn how to use To press correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
to press (the button): to push (the button)
Note the press means "the media".
pressing: urgent, in need of immediate action
to press someone (to do something): to put pressure on somebody (to do something)
Examples
- "Robot : Now press the star key eight times to make a nice tune."
- "Press 1 if you would like to book a ticket for an upcoming show."
- "If you are absolutely furious with a Delavigne product, press 3."
- "for Sales, press 4;"
- "If you would like to see Planet of the Apes the Musical press-"
- "I press the star key to be connected to a live customer service representative."
- "If you would like to see Die Hard the Musical, press 2."
- "For all other requests, or to talk to an operator, press 3."
- "Here is a list of our upcoming shows: If you would like to see Harry Potter the Musical, press 1."
- "Voice : You pressed 1."
- "If you would like to speak to the Public Relations department, press 1;"
- "I have a pressing appointment with my veterinarian."
- "If you are quite angry with a Delavigne product, press 2."
- "Luna : Hmmm. But if you pressed me I would say, let's see, honest, determined and kind to animals."
- "And I'm pressing the star key and go!"
- "Press the pound key after the tone to continue."
- "If you would like information on Musical Store locations and opening hours, press 1."
- "Press 2 if you would like to make another tune with your telephone keypad."
- "If you are so angry that you cannot speak, press 4."
- "If this is regarding a shipment of tarantulas, please press 1."
Exercise 1
Time for a little dictation!
Fill in the blanks to complete the robot's first two sentences.
"Hello and welcome the San Francisco Symphony Hall hotline. the after the to continue".
Fill in the blanks to complete the robot's first two sentences.
"Hello and welcome the San Francisco Symphony Hall hotline. the after the to continue".
Time for a little dictation!
Fill in the blanks to complete the robot's first two sentences.
"Hello and welcome to 1 the San Francisco Symphony Hall booking 2 hotline. Press 3 the pound 4 key 5 after the tone 6 to continue".
Fill in the blanks to complete the robot's first two sentences.
"Hello and welcome to 1 the San Francisco Symphony Hall booking 2 hotline. Press 3 the pound 4 key 5 after the tone 6 to continue".
1 to: When describing a location, in the imperative voice, "welcome" is always followed by the preposition "to". Example: "Welcome to England", "Welcome to the annual board meeting".
2 booking: "To book" means "to reserve" or "to buy in advance", and is the correct term here. A "booking" is a reservation. Example: "I've booked twenty tickets for the opera tomorrow night".
3 Press: "To press" is "to apply pressure or force", and is the best answer here. We often use this verb to talk about "touching or dialling buttons or keys" on the telephone or a computer keyboard. Example: "If you are calling about a technical problem, press "1" now".
4 pound: The "pound sign" is this symbol: "#". Note that this term is only used in the US: it is called "the hash sign" in British English. Example: "The pound key on my phone is broken". Note also that "pound" has several meanings, both as a noun and a verb. The term "pound" rhymes with "sound", "around", and "found".
5 key: "Key" is the best answer, as part of the two-word term "pound key". This describes the button of a telephone where we find the "#" sign. Example: "Press the star key if you want to talk to an operator".
6 tone: "Tone" is the best choice here. In a telephone context, the "tone" is the "beep" which often indicates the moment at which you can leave a message for the person you are calling. Example: "At the tone, please leave your name and number, and I'll contact you as soon as possible".
Exercise 2
"But if you pressed me I would say, let's see... honest, determined and... kind to animals".
If you press someone, you:
If you press someone, you:
"But if you pressed me I would say, let's see... honest, determined and... kind to animals".
If you press someone, you:
If you press someone, you:
When used as a noun, the term "press" describes the media which includes newspapers, radio, television and journalists. However when used as verb it has no connection with the media, therefore it is not the best choice here.
This is correct. If you press someone (to respond to a question), you urge them to, or insist that they (respond to a question). For example: "the journalist pressed the politician for an answer". In the dialogue, Bruno "presses" Luna to give him three words that describe the "average" or "typical" Delavigne employee.
"To press" someone does not mean to "hurry" or "rush" them in this context.
"To press" someone does not mean to offer someone a promotion.
"To press" someone does not mean to threaten someone with unemployment.
Exercise 3
Which of the following verbs expresses a similar meaning to the phrasal verb "to boot up"?
Which of the following verbs expresses a similar meaning to the phrasal verb "to boot up"?
To "press" does not share a similar meaning with "to boot up". "To press (a button)" means to push a button.
This is the correct choice. In a technical context, "to load" is synonymous with "to boot up", for example: My computer is very slow and it takes a long time to load software.
To "push" does not share a similar meaning with "to boot up". "To push (a button)" means to press a button.
To "kick" does not share a similar meaning with "to boot up". "To kick (the cat)" means to stricke the cat with the foot. It is not something we'd advise doing, unless the cat is preventing you from sleeping.
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