# duress

/ˈdʊɹɛs/ (US) · /djɔːɹˈɛs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/duress
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. harsh treatment

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

very rough or cruel treatment.

For teachers: harsh or severe treatment; imprisonment or constraint.

- The prisoners were kept in duress for many months in the cold tower.
- The historical accounts detail the duress suffered by the captives during their long winter of isolation and meager rations.

### 3. to pressure someone

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal

to force or pressure someone into doing something.

For teachers: to subject someone to duress or coercion.

- The manager tried to duress the employees into working extra hours without pay.
- The prosecution argued that the defendant had attempted to duress the witness into changing her testimony through repeated late-night phone calls.

## Examples

- He signed the confession under duress.
- The court ruled that the contract was invalid because the defendant had signed it under extreme duress from his employer.
- Legal scholars argue that any testimony obtained under duress is fundamentally unreliable, as the individual prioritises immediate safety over the factual accuracy of their statements.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.