Dictionary

pressingly en · ADV

Etymology

Etymology tree English pressing Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English pressingly From pressing + -ly.

Meanings

1. With a sense of urgency, because it is very important.
   • I wrote pressingly to Mr. Boone to raise men with all expedition to join capt. Floyd. 1998, Lyman Copeland Draper, The Life of Daniel Boone, page 310:
2. Importantly. Often used with more in this sense.
   • Why would you do that on a date, and why, more pressingly, would you do that at the beginning of a date?
3. With enthusiasm. With friendly encouragement.
   • In early 1993, further education staff were pressingly invited to seminars, workshops and training days to prepare for liberation from the local education authorities. 2001 April 10, Gillian Healey, “Managing to cope”, in The Guardian:

Forms

Antonyms

half-heartedly · apathetically

Deriveds

unpressingly

Synonyms

persistently · persuasively · enthusiastically · urgently · importantly