force
Forms
- Plural
- forces
- present (v1)
- force
- past (v2)
- forced
- past participle (v3)
- forced
- present participle
- forcing
- 3rd person singular
- forces
Definitions
1.Ability to influence; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.
- He was, in the full force of the words, a good man.
2.A physical quantity that denotes ability to push, pull, twist or accelerate a body and which has a direction and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance/time² (ML/T²): SI: newton (N); CGS: dyne (dyn).
- Torque is the rotational version of force.
- Force is the result of fundamental interactions.
- Catrin: Are you gonna bring it me, or shall I use the Force?
3.Anything that is able to make a substantial change in a person or thing.
- I won't force anybody to do that.
4.Something or anything that has the power to produce a physical effect upon something else, such as causing it to move or change shape.
- I won't force anybody to do that.
1.To make someone or something do something, often regardless of their will.
- The second problem is the economy, the shocking state of which has forced the decision to apply to the EU.
- Housebuilders had warned that the higher costs involved would have forced them to build fewer homes and priced many homebuyers out of the market.
- 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.
2.To constrain by force; to overcome the limitations or resistance of.
- Shall wee force the general law of nature, which in all living creatures under heaven is seene to tremble at paine?
3.To drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb).
- It stuck so fast, so deeply buried lay / That scarce the victor forced the steel away.
- In a groundbreaking move, the Pentagon is compensating servicemen seriously hurt when an American tank convoy forced them off the road.
- Ethelbert […]ordered that none should be forced into religion.
4.To cause to occur (despite inertia, resistance etc.); to produce through force.
- The comedian's jokes weren't funny, but I forced a laugh now and then.
Frequency
Overall
Very common· #456
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Common
- General reading & writing
- Very common
- Academic
- Common
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Etymology
From Middle English force, fors, forse
From Old French force
From Late Latin fortia, a noun derived from the neuter plural of Latin fortis (“strong”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”).