- force
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 physical strength, power or violenceADJECTIVE▪ considerable, great, terrible, tremendous▪ full, maximum▪ brute, sheer▪ reasonable (esp. BrE)▪ sufficient▪ excessive▪ unlawful (BrE)▪ deadly, lethal▪ explosive▪ physical▪ gale, hurricane▪
The wind was increasing to gale force.
▪hurricane-force winds
VERB + FORCE▪ employ, resort to, use▪In the end, we had to resort to brute force to get the door open.
▪ take sth by▪The troops marched in and took the city by force.
▪ feel▪Everyone felt the force of his argument.
PREPOSITION▪ by force▪The king made laws and imposed them by force.
PHRASES▪ catch the full force of sth, feel the full force of sth, take the full force of sth▪Our house took the full force of the bomb blast.
▪I felt the full force of her criticism.
▪ force of personality, force of will▪She used her sheer force of personality to keep the family together.
▪ meet force with force (esp. AmE)▪The country's attempts to meet force with force (= resist an attack using force) led to the outbreak of war.
▪ the use of force▪The regulations allow the use of force if necessary.
2 effect that causes sth to moveADJECTIVE▪ powerful, strong▪ weak▪ attractive▪ repulsive▪ external, internal▪Deep internal forces cause movements of the earth's crust.
▪ lateral▪ centrifugal, centripetal, electromagnetic, electromotive, gravitational, mechanical, nuclear, physical, tidalVERB + FORCE▪ apply, exert, generate, produce▪The sun exerts a force on the earth.
▪ increase▪ decrease, reduce▪ balance▪The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.
FORCE + VERB▪ act on sth▪lateral forces acting on the car's suspension
▪ balance sthFORCE + NOUN▪ field▪the force field of a magnet
PREPOSITION▪ force between▪the attractive and repulsive forces between individual particles
PHRASES▪ a balance of forces▪the balance of nuclear forces in atoms
▪ the force of gravity3 legal authority of sthADJECTIVE▪ binding, legal, statutory (BrE)▪The contract was not signed and has no binding force.
VERB + FORCE▪ come into▪The new law comes into force as from midnight tomorrow.
▪ bring sth into (esp. BrE)PREPOSITION▪ in force▪Some archaic laws are still in force.
PHRASES▪ the force of law▪Professional standards often do not have the force of law (= cannot be enforced).
4 sb/sth with power/influenceADJECTIVE▪ considerable, formidable, great, irresistible, major, overwhelming, potent, powerful, significant, strong, unstoppable▪ active, controlling, dominant, driving, main, moving▪ motivating▪ persuasive▪ constructive, creative, dynamic, positive, progressive▪ destructive, disruptive, negative▪She was seen as a potentially disruptive force within the party.
▪ cohesive, unifying▪ competitive, conflicting, countervailing, opposing, reactionary▪ internal▪ external, international, outside▪The play portrays a marriage torn apart by external forces.
▪ invisible, unseen▪ natural▪powerful natural forces such as earthquakes and drought
▪ spiritual, supernatural▪ dark, demonic, evil, malevolent▪‘There are dark forces in the universe,’ he raved, ‘and we are powerless against them!’
▪ cultural, economic, intellectual, market, moral, political, productive, revolutionary, social▪powerful social and economic forces
VERB + FORCE▪ remain▪Though officially retired, she remains the creative force behind the design business.
▪ balance▪This is a politician who does not like to balance market forces.
▪ fight▪to fight the forces of evil
PREPOSITION▪ force behind▪Local parents were the driving force behind the project.
▪ force for▪Competition is a force for change in industry.
PHRASES▪ a balance of forces▪shifts in the balance of political forces in Europe
▪ a force to be reckoned with▪With its new players, the team is now very much a force to be reckoned with.
▪ the forces of nature5 group of people trained for a particular purposeADJECTIVE▪ large▪ small, token▪a token force of only 300 men
▪ 100-strong, etc.▪ superior▪ crack, elite, special▪These elite forces are the best equipped and trained in the world.
▪ combined, joint▪the combined forces of MI5 and Scotland Yard
▪a joint task force
▪ allied, coalition, multinational▪ strategic▪ labour/labor, sales, work (usually workforce)▪the US labour/labor force
▪the company's sales force
▪ armed, armoured/armored, military, paramilitary▪ government, loyal▪ enemy, guerrilla, hostile, occupation, occupying, opposition, rebel▪He called on the local population to rise up against the occupying forces.
▪ friendly▪ regular▪ reserve▪ all-volunteer, volunteer▪ conventional▪ nuclear▪ assault, combat, defence/defense, expeditionary, fighting, invasion, peace, peacekeeping, police, security, strike (See also task force.)▪ air, airborne, amphibious, ground, land, navalVERB + FORCE▪ assemble, create, form, mobilize, set up▪A large expeditionary force is now being assembled.
▪ send▪the decision to send armed forces over the border
▪ provide▪ deploy, employ, use▪A small peacekeeping force will be deployed in the area.
▪ withdraw▪ command, head, head up, lead▪ join▪She decided to join the armed forces.
▪ train▪ support▪More troops have been called in to support the coalition forces there.
▪ combine, join▪The two companies have joined forces to form a new consortium.
FORCE + VERB▪ control sth▪Rebel forces now control most of the capital.
▪ operate▪UN forces operating in the region
PREPOSITION▪ in a/the force▪people in the security forces
PHRASES▪ a member of a force, the withdrawal of a force▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}a deadline for the withdrawal of forces
verbForce is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑circumstance, ↑necessityForce is used with these nouns as the object: ↑cancellation, ↑change, ↑closure, ↑confession, ↑confrontation, ↑corner, ↑draw, ↑employer, ↑entry, ↑grin, ↑laugh, ↑lock, ↑passage, ↑postponement, ↑reappraisal, ↑referendum, ↑removal, ↑replay, ↑resignation, ↑retirement, ↑showdown, ↑smile, ↑way, ↑window
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
force — [ fɔrs ] n. f. • 1080; bas lat. fortia, plur. neutre substantivé de fortis → 1. fort; forcer I ♦ La force de qqn. 1 ♦ Puissance d action physique (d un être, d un organe). Force physique; force musculaire. ⇒ résistance, robustesse, vigueur. Force … Encyclopédie Universelle
forcé — force [ fɔrs ] n. f. • 1080; bas lat. fortia, plur. neutre substantivé de fortis → 1. fort; forcer I ♦ La force de qqn. 1 ♦ Puissance d action physique (d un être, d un organe). Force physique; force musculaire. ⇒ résistance, robustesse, vigueur … Encyclopédie Universelle
force — Force, Vis, Neruositas, Fortitudo, Virtus. Il se prend quelquesfois pour le dessus d une entreprinse ou affaire, comme, Il combatit si vaillamment que la force fut sienne, c est à dire, que le dessus du combat et la victoire fut à luy. Item,… … Thresor de la langue françoyse
force — 1 n 1: a cause of motion, activity, or change intervening force: a force that acts after another s negligent act or omission has occurred and that causes injury to another: intervening cause at cause irresistible force: an unforeseeable event esp … Law dictionary
force — Force. subst. fem. Vigueur, faculté naturelle d agir vigoureusement. Il se dit proprement du corps. Force naturelle. grande force. force extraordinaire. force de corps. force de bras, la force consiste dans les nerfs. frapper de toute sa force, y … Dictionnaire de l'Académie française
Force — Force, n. [F. force, LL. forcia, fortia, fr. L. fortis strong. See {Fort}, n.] 1. Capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigor; might; often, an unusual degree of strength or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
forcé — forcé, ée (for sé, sée) part. passé de forcer. 1° À quoi on a fait violence, qu on a tordu, brisé avec violence. Un coffre forcé. Une serrure forcée. • Ils [les Juifs] répandirent dans le monde que le sépulcre [de Jésus] avait été forcé ;… … Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré
force — n 1 *power, energy, strength, might, puissance Analogous words: *stress, strain, pressure, tension: *speed, velocity, momentum, impetus, headway 2 Force, violence, compulsion, coercion, duress, constraint, restraint denote the exercise or the… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
force — [fôrs, fōrs] n. [ME < OFr < VL * fortia, * forcia < L fortis, strong: see FORT1] 1. strength; energy; vigor; power 2. the intensity of power; impetus [the force of a blow] 3. a) physical power or strength exerted against a person or… … English World dictionary
Force — Force, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Forced}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Forcing}.] [OF. forcier, F. forcer, fr. LL. forciare, fortiare. See {Force}, n.] 1. To constrain to do or to forbear, by the exertion of a power not resistible; to compel by physical, moral,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
force — ► NOUN 1) physical strength or energy as an attribute of action or movement. 2) Physics an influence tending to change the motion of a body or produce motion or stress in a stationary body. 3) coercion backed by the use or threat of violence. 4)… … English terms dictionary