жать

fairly common #4580

verbimperfective perfective is пожа́ть

1.
to press, to squeeze, to clasp
Он кре́пко жал мне ру́ку.
He shook my hand firmly.
Conjugated жму, жмёшь; жать руку = shake someone's hand.
2.
to pinch, to be too tight, to hurt
Э́ти ту́фли жмут в носке.
These shoes pinch at the toe.
Of footwear and clothing.
3.
to press out, to squeeze out, to press (grapes)
На заво́де жмут виногра́д для вина.
At the factory they press grapes for wine.
4.
to reap, to harvest, to cut (grain), to mowagriculture
Крестья́не жа́ли пшени́цу серпа́ми.
The peasants reaped the wheat with sickles.
Separate verb with the forms жну, жнёшь; used of grain crops.

Examples

Мне ту́фли жмут.
My shoes are too tight.
Жми́те на то́рмоз!
Put on the brakes!
Э́ти ту́фли слишком у́зкие. Они жмут.
These shoes are too tight. They hurt.
Костюм должен облегать тело, но не жать.
The suit should fit the body closely without being tight.
Чтобы велосипе́д пое́хал, тебе нужно жать на педа́ли.
To make the bike move, you must push on the pedals.
Напяленные джинсы жали ему в поясе.
The jeans he had squeezed into were tight around his waist.
Где жмёт боти́нок?
Where does the shoe pinch?
Сапоги́ жмут в и́крах.
The boots are tight around the calf.

Imperative
ты	жми́
вы	жми́те

Active present	жму́щий	squeezing, pressing, pinching, tight
Active past	жа́вший	pressing, squeezing
Passive present	-
Passive past	жа́тый	pressed, squeezed, crushed, clenched
Gerund present	-
Gerund past	жа́в жавши	while doing (past)

Verb	Prefix	Meaning
жать	-	to press; to pinch; to press out; to reap
жа́ться	-	to press close (to); to huddle up; to squeeze (into); to hesitate; to be stingy
вжать	в-	to press in
вжа́ться	в-	to press oneself into