force
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /fɔːs/
enpr: fôrs
ipa: /foɹs/
ipa: [fo̞ɹs]
note: Indic
ipa: /foː(ɾ)s/
note: spelling pronunciation
ipa: /fɒ(ɾ)s/
note: rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
enpr: fōrs
ipa: /fo(ː)ɹs/
note: rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
note: non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
ipa: /foəs/
rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)s
Forms: form: forces
form: forcing
form: forced
form: forced
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: force
form: force
form: forced
form: force
form: forcest
form: forced
form: forcedst
form: forces
form: forceth
form: forced
form: force
form: forced
form: force
form: forced
form: force
form: -
form: forcing
form: forced
Etymology: From Middle English forcen, from Old French forcier, from Late Latin *fortiāre, from Latin fortia.
Senses: examples: text: Captain Edward Carlisle[…]felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze,[…]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: The second problem is the economy, the shocking state of which has forced the decision to apply to the EU.
ref: 2009 July 23, “All things to Althingi”, in The Economist:
text: Housebuilders had warned that the higher costs involved would have forced them to build fewer homes and priced many homebuyers out of the market.
ref: 2011 March 23, Tim Webb, Fiona Harvey, The Guardian:
text: The hourly Southampton to London Victoria service via Horsham has been axed, as has the direct Littlehampton-Bognor Regis service, forcing passengers to change [trains] at Barnham.
ref: 2024 March 6, “Network News: Southern revises Coastway service”, in RAIL, number 1004, page 12:
glosses: To make someone or something do something, often regardless of their will.
examples: text: Shall wee force the general law of nature, which in all living creatures under heaven is seene to tremble at paine?
ref: 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 40, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
glosses: To constrain by force; to overcome the limitations or resistance of.
examples: text: It stuck so fast, so deeply buried lay / That scarce the victor forced the steel away.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: to force the tyrant from his seat by war
ref: c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
text: Ethelbert […]ordered that none should be forced into religion.
ref: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
text: In a groundbreaking move, the Pentagon is compensating servicemen seriously hurt when an American tank convoy forced them off the road.
ref: 2007 November 4, The Guardian:
synonyms: thrust
glosses: To drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb).
examples: text: The comedian's jokes weren't funny, but I forced a laugh now and then.
text: Janet Tobacman of Woman Organized for Reproductive Choice (WORC) in Chicago and New Jewish Agenda stated, "R2N2 needs omre discussion and action around sexuality in general," forcing a concern that had little discussion throughout the conference.
ref: 1982 December 4, Sharon Page, “R2N2 Conference: Revitalizing the Movement”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 20, page 3:
glosses: To cause to occur (despite inertia, resistance etc.); to produce through force.
examples: text: I forgot my keys in and so we had to force (open) the door.
glosses: To forcibly open (a door, lock etc.).
examples: text: For yf ye were suche fyfty as ye be / ye were not able to make resystence ageynst this deuyl / here lyeth a duchesse deede the whiche was the fayrest of alle the world wyf to syre Howel / duc of Bretayne / he hath murthred her in forcynge her / and has slytte her vnto the nauyl
ref: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter V, in Le Morte Darthur, book V:
text: a young woman not farre from mee had headlong cast her selfe out of a high window, with intent to kill herselfe, only to avoid the ravishment of a rascally-base souldier that lay in her house, who offered to force her[…].
ref: 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 1, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
glosses: To violate (a woman); to rape.
examples: text: And I pray you for my sake to force yourselff there, that men may speke you worshyp.
ref: 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum xxi”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XVIII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
glosses: To exert oneself, to do one's utmost.
glosses: To obtain or win by strength; to take by violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm, as a fortress.
examples: text: Jones forced the runner at second by stepping on the bag.
topics: ball-games
baseball
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To create an out by touching a base in advance of a runner who has no base to return to while in possession of a ball which has already touched the ground.
glosses: To compel (an adversary or partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit that he/she does not hold.
examples: text: VVhat can the Church force more?
ref: 1612–1613 (date written), John Webster, The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy. […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, for Iohn Waterson, […], published 1623, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii:
glosses: To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce.
examples: text: Were they not forc’d with thoſe that ſhould be ours, / We might haue met them darefull, beard to beard, / And beate them backward home.
ref: c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 150, column 1, lines 5–7:
glosses: To provide with forces; to reinforce; to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison.
examples: text: For me, I force not argument a straw.
ref: 1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To allow the force of; to value; to care for.
glosses: To grow (rhubarb) in the dark, causing it to grow early.
Derived terms: action-forcing
enforce
force down someone's throat
forceful
force one's way
force out
force quit
force someone's back to the wall
force someone's hand
force the pace
force the voucher
forcible
love cannot be forced
Related terms: sense: coerce
word: To control by force