Strain vs. Pressure — What's the Difference?

Tensile strain.

Atmospheric pressure.

To pull, draw, or stretch tight

Blood pressure.

(Physics) To cause distortion of (a body's parts or shape) by applying an external force; deform.

Sound pressure.

To exert, use, or tax to the utmost

Pressure (symbol: p or P) is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled gage pressure) is the pressure relative to the ambient pressure.

To injure or impair by overuse or overexertion; wrench

Continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it

To damage or weaken by pressure or tension

The use of persuasion or intimidation to make someone do something

To force beyond the proper or reasonable limit

Attempt to persuade or coerce (someone) into doing something

To pass (a liquid) through a filtering agent such as a strainer.

The act of pressing.

To draw off or remove by filtration

The condition of being pressed.

(Archaic) To embrace or clasp tightly; hug.

The application of continuous force by one body on another that it is touching; compression.

To make strong or steady efforts; strive hard

Abbr. P(Physics)Force applied over a surface, measured as force per unit area.

To contract or exert one's muscles to the utmost.

(Meteorology) Atmospheric pressure.

To pull or push forcibly or violently

A compelling or constraining influence, such as persuasion or negative attitudes, on the mind or will

To be or become wrenched or twisted

An influence acting as a source of distress or hardship

To be subjected to great stress

(Sports) Sustained, effective play that puts an opponent at a disadvantage

To pass through a filtering agent

The condition of being subjected to physical, mental, social, or economic distress

The act of straining.

A physical sensation produced by compression of a part of the body.

The state of being strained

(Archaic) A mark made by application of force or weight; an impression.

Extreme or laborious effort, exertion, or work

To force or try to force, as by influence or persuasion

A great or excessive demand or stress on one's body, mind, or resources

To pressurize.

The state of being subjected to such demands or stresses

To pressure-cook.

A wrench, twist, or other physical injury resulting from excessive tension, effort, or use.

A pressing; a force applied to a surface.

(Physics) Any of several kinds of deformation of the dimensions of a body when subjected to stress, as axial strain or elastic strain.

A contrasting force or impulse of any kind

An exceptional degree or pitch

Distress.

A group of bacteria or viruses that are genetically distinct from other groups of the same species.

Urgency

A group of cultivated plants or domestic animals of the same species that have distinctive characteristics but are not considered a separate breed or variety.

(obsolete) Impression; stamp; character impressed.

The collective descendants of a common ancestor; a race, stock, line, or breed.

(physics) The amount of force that is applied over a given area divided by the size of this area; force per unit area.

Any of the various lines of ancestry united in an individual or a family; ancestry or lineage.

(transitive) To encourage or heavily exert force or influence.

A kind or sort

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

An inborn or inherited tendency or character

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.

An inherent quality; a streak

Affliction; distress; grievance.

The tone, tenor, or substance of a verbal utterance or of a particular action or behavior

Urgency; as, the pressure of business.

Often strains(Music) A passage of expression; a tune or an air

Impression; stamp; character impressed.

A passage of poetic and especially lyrical expression.

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 amount upon a unit's area.

An outburst or a flow of eloquent or impassioned language.

Electro-motive force.

(archaic) Race; lineage, pedigree.

The force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit);

(biology) A particular variety of a microbe, virus, or other organism, usually a taxonomically infraspecific one.

A force that compels;

(figurative) Hereditary character, quality, tendency, or disposition.

The act of pressing; the exertion of pressure;

Any sustained note or movement; a song; a distinct portion of an ode or other poem; also, the pervading note, or burden, of a song, poem, etc.

The state of urgently demanding notice or attention;

Language that is eloquent, poetic, or otherwise heightened.

The somatic sensation of pressure;

(rare) A kind or sort (of person etc.).

An oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or economic distress

(obsolete) Treasure.

To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :

(obsolete) The blood-vessel in the yolk of an egg.

Exert pressure on someone through threats

The act of straining, or the state of being strained.

Force per unit area.

A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles.

Water pressure.

An injury resulting from violent effort; a sprain.

A dimensionless measure of object deformation either referring to engineering strain or true strain.

(obsolete) The track of a deer.

(obsolete) To hold tightly, to clasp.

To apply a force or forces to by stretching out.

To damage by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force.

To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as when bending a beam.

To exert or struggle (to do something), especially to stretch (one's senses, faculties etc.) beyond what is normal or comfortable.

To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in terms of intent or meaning.

(transitive) To separate solid from liquid by passing through a strainer or colander

(intransitive) To percolate; to be filtered.

To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain.

To urge with importunity; to press.

(transitive) hug somebody; to hold somebody tightly.

(obsolete) To beget, generate (of light), engender, copulate (both of animals and humans), lie with, be born, come into the world.

Race; stock; generation; descent; family.

Hereditary character, quality, or disposition.

Rank; a sort.

A cultural subvariety that is only slightly differentiated.

The act of straining, or the state of being strained.

A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles; as, he lifted the weight with a strain; the strain upon a ship's rigging in a gale; also, the hurt or injury resulting; a sprain.

A portion of music divided off by a double bar; a complete musical period or sentence; a movement, or any rounded subdivision of a movement.

A change of form or dimensions of a solid or liquid mass, produced by a stress.

Any sustained note or movement; a song; a distinct portion of an ode or other poem; also, the pervading note, or burden, of a song, poem, oration, book, etc.; theme; motive; manner; style; also, a course of action or conduct; as, he spoke in a noble strain; there was a strain of woe in his story; a strain of trickery appears in his career.

Turn; tendency; inborn disposition. Cf. 1st Strain.

To draw with force; to extend with great effort; to stretch; as, to strain a rope; to strain the shrouds of a ship; to strain the cords of a musical instrument.

To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as forces on a beam to bend it.

To exert to the utmost; to ply vigorously.

To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in the matter of intent or meaning; as, to strain the law in order to convict an accused person.

To injure by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force; as, the gale strained the timbers of the ship.

To injure in the muscles or joints by causing to make too strong an effort; to harm by overexertion; to sprain; as, to strain a horse by overloading; to strain the wrist; to strain a muscle.

To squeeze; to press closely.

To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain.

To urge with importunity; to press; as, to strain a petition or invitation.

To press, or cause to pass, through a strainer, as through a screen, a cloth, or some porous substance; to purify, or separate from extraneous or solid matter, by filtration; to filter; as, to strain milk through cloth.

To make violent efforts.

To percolate; to be filtered; as, water straining through a sandy soil.

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

Difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension;

A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence;

(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress;

A special variety of domesticated animals within a species;

(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups;

A lineage or race of people

Injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain

Pervading note of an utterance;

An effortful attempt to attain a goal

An intense or violent exertion

The act of singing;

To exert much effort or energy;

Test the limits of;

Use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity;

Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements;

Make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious;

Stretch or force to the limit;

Remove by passing through a filter;

Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender;

Alter the shape of (something) by stress;

Deformation.

Elastic strain.

Compressive strain.

Shear strain.

Yes, strain can occur from internal stresses without external pressure, such as thermal expansion.

Strain indicates how materials deform under stress, essential for assessing their strength and elasticity.

Understanding strain helps engineers design safer and more durable structures by predicting how materials will behave under load.

Pressure is crucial in numerous everyday applications, from weather forecasting to functioning of household water systems.

Pressure is commonly measured in Pascals, atmospheres, or pounds per square inch (psi).

Changes in atmospheric pressure can indicate weather changes; low pressure often leads to rain, while high pressure might mean clear skies.

Stress causes strain; the amount of strain is directly related to the applied stress, following the material's properties.

Barometers measure atmospheric pressure, and manometers measure fluid pressure.

Proper water pressure ensures efficient water flow and delivery in plumbing systems, avoiding leaks and pipe damage.

Strain quantitatively measures the extent of deformation as a ratio, while deformation is the general term for any change in shape.