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peer pressure

American  
[peer presh-er] / ˈpɪər ˈprɛʃ ər /

noun

  1. social pressure by members of one's peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.


peer pressure Cultural  
  1. The social influence a peer group exerts on its individual members, as each member attempts to conform to the expectations of the group. (See conformity.)


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Are we saying the best way to make a difference is to go around putting peer pressure on each other?

From Slate • May 15, 2026

Luckily for them, Dave did then perform the track - which basically proves that peer pressure does indeed work.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

One of my mom group chats recently turned to strength training, and I copped to finally succumbing to peer pressure and buying weights on Amazon—5 pounders, to be exact.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

"It's some form of peer pressure," 24-year-old Haskell Austin tells the BBC.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

Rishi held his arms open, and Dimple, giving in to peer pressure in spite of every instinct screaming at her not to, leaped into his arms.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

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