appressed

1 9.9

Held close to another surface so it lies flat

adjective
/əˈprɛst/

Specialized

: aplastado

The bark is covered with appressed scales that are difficult to remove.

Examples

The cat's ears were appressed to its head in fear.
The appressed leaves help the plant retain moisture in dry environments.
The leaves were appressed against the ground after the storm.
She noticed the appressed petals of the flower.
The appressed leaves of the plant lay flat against the ground, helping to conserve moisture.
The appressed edges of the paper made it easier to stack without any gaps.
His appressed hair gave him a sleek and polished appearance for the formal event.

Synonyms

pressed

vsappressed

19 1.0

Clothes are flat and smooth after ironing

focuses on lying flat directly against a surface rather than ironing

flattened

vsappressed

16 2.8

Made flat or more level than before

emphasizes close contact against another surface rather than mere flatness

adpressed

vsappressed

Specialized

9.9

Held very close and flat against a surface or another part

is the same meaning but written with a different prefix or spelling

Antonyms

loose

33 1.0

Not tightly packed with many spaces between parts

detached

8 4.3

Something loose and not fixed to the thing it belongs to

How Close

flattened

16 2.8

appressed

Specialized

1 9.9

touching

9 2.5

near

∞ 1.0

separate

844 2.1

Surface Forms

appressed positive

Morphology

appressed = appress (semi-transparent) = ap + press + ed

The suffix '-ed' indicates the past participle form, but the specific sense of 'pressed closely against' may not be immediately clear.

Etymology

Appressed comes from the Latin parts ad- meaning 'to' and press meaning 'to push down'. So something appressed is 'pressed toward' another surface, which is why leaves or ears can lie flat and close to a stem or head.