- force */*/*/
- I UK [fɔː(r)s] / US [fɔrs]
noun
Word forms "force":
singular force plural forces1)a) [uncountable] physical strength, or violenceby force:They accused the police of using excessive force during the arrest.
The army took control of the region by force.
You can achieve more by persuasion than by brute force (= physical force alone).
b) the power or energy produced by one thing hitting anotherHis body swung round with the force of the blow.
The office block took the full force of the blast.
2)a) [uncountable] the influence or powerful effect that someone hasforce of personality:We have convinced people by the force of our argument.
He persuaded them to re-elect him by sheer force of personality.
b) [countable] someone or something that has a powerful influence on what happensthe social and political forces that shape people's lives
force for:For years he was a dominant force in Spanish politics.
The UN is a force for stability.
driving force (= the most important influence):The most obvious force for change in industry is technical advance.
She was certainly the driving force behind the campaign.
3)a) [countable] physics a power that makes an object move or that changes the way it movesthe force of gravity
electromagnetic forces
b) used with a number for describing how strong a wind isa force 9 gale
4) [countable] a group of people doing military or police workBoth countries have now withdrawn their forces from the area.
a UN peacekeeping force
a) a group of people who work together for a particular purposean effective sales force
b) the forceinformal the policeBill was a senior police officer, who joined the force back in 1982.
See:task force5) the Forces[plural] British the army, navy, and air force of a country•by/through force of circumstances
— because of the situation that you are in, which forces you to do a particular thingthe forces of darkness/evil
— evil influences, for example the deviljoin/combine forces
— to start to work together in order to achieve a shared goalScientists and dairy farmers should join forces to overcome variations in milk quality.
through/from force of habit
— without thinking, because you always do a particular thingI locked the door from force of habit.
- in force
II UK [fɔː(r)s] / US [fɔrs] verb [transitive]
Word forms "force":
present tense I/you/we/they force he/she/it forces present participle forcing past tense forced past participle forcedMetaphor:Forcing someone to do something is like putting physical pressure on them, or pulling or pushing them. They put pressure on him to go. ♦ I was under a lot of pressure. ♦ I felt very pressured. ♦ She pushed me into agreeing. ♦ He was hauled in by the police for questioning. ♦ They squeezed a confession out of him. ♦ The country was dragged into war. ♦ They kept pressing me for an answer. ♦ I didn't want to do it, but they twisted my arm. ♦ She managed to twist/wrap me around her little finger. ➡ power1)a) to make someone do something that they do not want to do, for example by using or threatening to use violenceforce someone to do something:He claims that police officers forced him to sign a confession.
force yourself to do something:Three judges have been forced to resign because of corruption scandals.
force someone into doing something:Despite the pain, she forced herself to get out of bed.
force someone into/out of something:You can't force him into going out with you.
Two men forced him into the back of the van.
b) if an event or situation forces you to do something, you have to do it even if you do not want toforce someone to do something:force someone into/out of something:Bad health forced her to abandon her studies.
Lack of skills forces these young men into low-paid jobs.
Falling sales eventually forced them out of business.
2) to use physical force to move something in a particular directionforce something through/into/out of something:She forced the package through the slot.
Use a strong jet of water to force blockages out of the pipe.
a) to use physical force to open something that is lockedforce something open:Police say the back window has been forced.
force a lock (= break it):We had to force the door open.
If she doesn't have a key, we'll have to force the lock.
b) to use physical strength to move somewhere by pushing people or things awayforce your way through/into something:She had to force her way through the crowd.
3) to make something happenOpposition to the plans forced a rapid reversal of policy.
The Knicks scored in the closing seconds, forcing the game into overtime.
4) to make a plant grow faster than it would normally, for example by giving it extra heat or light•Phrasal verbs:force a smile/laugh
— to smile or laugh when you do not really feel like it- force on- force up
English dictionary. 2014.