forcest

Verb

force (third-person singular simple present forces, present participle forcing, simple past and past participle forced)

1. (transitive) To make someone or something do something, often regardless of their will.
   • 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...1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   thrust

2. (transitive) 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?1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 40, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC
3. (transitive) 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.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

   Synonyms:

   thrust

4. (transitive) 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.
5. (transitive) To forcibly open (a door, lock etc.).
   • I forgot my keys in and so we had to force (open) the door.
6. (transitive) To violate (a woman); to rape.
   • 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 nauyl1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter V, in Le Morte Darthur, book V

   Synonyms:

   abuse, defile, outrage, constuprate, defoul, dishonour, misuse, oppress, pollute, rape

See all 38 meanings of force