Duress is pressure that is not fair — threats, force, or fear used to make you do something you would not choose. The old meaning sits in the Latin: hardness. Someone is being hard on you until you give in.

Duress is pressure that is not fairDuress 指的是不公平的壓力——threats, force, or fear used to make you do something you would not choose用威脅、武力或恐懼逼你去做你原本不會選擇的事。The old meaning sits in the Latin它古老的意思藏在拉丁文裡：hardnesshardness（堅硬）。Someone is being hard on you就是有人對你很強硬 until you give in直到你屈服為止。

In real English you almost always meet it in the phrase under duress: you signed the paper under duress; you confessed under duress.

In real English you almost always meet it in the phrase under duress在真實的英文裡，你幾乎都是在 under duress 這個片語裡遇到它：you signed the paper under duressyou signed the paper under duress（你是在脅迫之下簽的字）；you confessed under duressyou confessed under duress（你是在脅迫之下認罪的）。

Lawyers use it a great deal. If you acted under duress, the law may say the act was not truly your free choice.

Lawyers use it a great deal律師很常用這個字。If you acted under duress如果你是在脅迫之下做的事，the law may say the act was not truly your free choice法律可能會認定那個行為並不是你真正自由的選擇。

Though actually, in everyday talk people stretch it: “I only went to the party under duress” can mean friends pushed you, not that anyone broke the law. That looser use is half-joking. The serious use is illegal or unfair threats.

Though actually不過其實，in everyday talk people stretch it日常說話時人們會把它用得更寬鬆："I only went to the party under duress"「I only went to the party under duress」can mean friends pushed you可能只是說朋友硬拉你去，not that anyone broke the law不是說有人違法了。That looser use is half-joking這種比較鬆散的用法是半開玩笑的。The serious use is illegal or unfair threats正式嚴肅的用法指的是違法或不公平的威脅。

A verb “to duress” exists in some legal writing, but ordinary speakers almost never use it.

A verb "to duress" exists in some legal writing動詞用法「to duress」存在於一些法律文件裡，but ordinary speakers almost never use it但一般說話的人幾乎不會用它。