force

US: /ˈfɔɹs/
UK: /fˈɔːs/


English Vietnamese dictionary


force /fɔ:s/
  • danh từ
    • thác nước
    • sức, lực, sức mạnh
      • physical force: sức mạnh vật chất
      • moral force: sức mạnh tinh thần
    • vũ lực, quyền lực; sự bắt buộc
      • by force; per force: bằng vũ lực bắt buộc
      • by force of circumstances: do hoàn cảnh bắt buộc
    • quân đội, quân lực; (số nhiều) quân, lực lượng (quân đội)
      • armed forces: lực lượng vũ trang
      • the force: công an
    • ảnh hưởng, tác dụng; sức thuyết phục
      • there is force in what you say: câu nói của anh có sức thuyết phục
      • the force of an argument: sức thuyết phục của một lý lẽ
    • sự tác động mạnh mẽ, ấn tượng sâu sắc; sự sinh động
      • to describe something with much force: tả cái gì rất sinh động
    • (pháp lý) hiệu lực
      • the law remains in force: điều luật đó còn có hiệu lực
      • to come into force: có hiệu lực
      • to put in force: thi hành
    • ý nghĩa
      • the force of a clause: ý nghĩa của một điều khoản
    • (vật lý) lực; (từ cổ,nghĩa cổ) năng lượng
      • internal force: lực trong
      • external force: lực ngoài
      • conversation of force: (từ cổ,nghĩa cổ) sự bảo toàn năng lượng
    • by force of
      • do nhờ, bằng cách
    • in force
      • (quân sự) nhiều
    • in great force
      • mạnh mẽ, sung sức
  • ngoại động từ
    • dùng vũ lực đối với, bức hiếp, ép buộc, cưỡng ép, bắt buộc
      • to force one's way into a house: dùng vũ lực xông vào nhà
      • to force a statement out of somebody: bắt ai phải khai ra (tuyên bố) cái gì
      • to force something upon somebody: ép buộc ai phải nhận cái gì
      • to force a woman: hâm hiếp một người đàn bà
    • phá (cửa); bẻ (khoá)
    • (đánh bài) bắt, ép (phải đưa một quân nào ra)
      • to force a card: làm cho phải lấy một lá bài nào đo (khi làm trò quỷ thuật bằng bài tẩy)
    • ép, gượng
      • to force the pace: tăng tốc độ để ép đối phương chóng mệt (trong cuộc chạy thi)
      • to force a word: dùng ép một từ
      • to force a smile: gượng cười
      • to one's voice: ép giọng
    • làm (quả) chín gượng, làm chín sớm; làm (hoa) nở ép, làm nở sớm; thúc cho (cây) chóng lớn
    • thúc đẩy, đẩy tới
      • to force a process: thúc đẩy một quá trình
    • cưỡng đoạt, chiếm
      • to force something out of someone's hand: cưỡng đoạt cái gì ở tay ai
      • to force an enemy stronghold: chiếm một đồn địch
    • to force someone's hand
      • bắt ai phải hành động hơi sớm; buộc ai phải manh động
    • bắt ai phải công nhận một chính sách

Advanced English dictionary


noun, verb
+ noun
violent action
1 [U] violent physical action used to obtain or achieve sth: The release of the hostages could not be achieved without the use of force. + The rioters were taken away by force. + The ultimatum contained the threat of military force. + We will achieve much more by persuasion than by brute force. + plans to seize power by force of arms (= by military force)
physical strength
2 [U] the physical strength of sth that is shown as it hits sth else: the force of the blow / explosion / collision + The shopping centre took the full force of the blast. + She hits the ball with amazing force for someone so small. - STRENGTH
strong effect
3 [U] the strong effect or influence of sth: They realized the force of her argument. + He controlled himself by sheer force of will. + She spoke with force and deliberation.
sb / sth with power
4 [C] a person or thing that has a lot of power or influence: economic / market forces + the forces of good / evil + Ron is the driving force (= the person who has the most influence) behind the project. + She's a force to be reckoned with (= a person who has a lot of power and influence and should therefore be treated seriously). + The expansion of higher education should be a powerful force for change. + Television has become a major force in American political life. + He was finally defeated by forces beyond his control.
authority
5 [U] the authority of sth: These guidelines do not have the force of law. + The court ruled that these standards have force in British law. + The culprits must expect to face the full force of the law.
group of people
6 [C+sing./pl. v.] a group of people who have been organized for a particular purpose: a member of the sales force + A large proportion of the labour force (= all the people who work in a particular company, area, etc.) is unskilled.
See also - WORKFORCE
military
7 [C+sing./pl. v.] a group of people who have been trained to protect other people, usually by using weapons: a member of the security forces + rebel / government forces + a peace-keeping force
See also - AIR FORCE, POLICE FORCE, TASK FORCE
8 (the forces) [pl.] (BrE) the army, navy and air force: allied / defence forces
9 (forces) [pl.] the weapons and soldiers that an army, etc. has, considered as things that may be used: strategic nuclear forces.
police
10 (the force) [sing.] (BrE) the police force: He joined the force twenty years ago.
physics
11 [C, U] an effect that causes things to move in a particular way: The moon exerts a force on the earth. + the force of gravity + magnetic / centrifugal force
of wind
12 [C, usually sing.] a unit for measuring the strength of the wind: a force 9 gale + a gale force wind
See also - TOUR DE FORCE
Idioms: bring sth into force to cause a law, rule, etc. to start being used: They are hoping to bring the new legislation into force before the end of the year.
come / enter into force (of a law, rule, etc.) to start being used: When do the new regulations come into force?
force of habit if you do sth from or out of force of habit, you do it automatically and in a particular way because you have always done it that way in the past: It's force of habit that gets me out of bed at 6.15 each morning.
the forces of nature the power of the wind, rain, etc., especially when it causes damage or harm: They were fighting a losing battle against the forces of nature.
in force
1 (of people) in large numbers: Protesters turned out in force.
2 (of a law, rule, etc.) being used: The new regulations are now in force.
join / combine forces (with sb) to work together in order to achieve a shared aim: The two firms joined forces to win the contract.
more at SPENT
+ verb
make sb do sth
1 [often passive] ~ sb (into sth / into doing sth) to make sb do sth that they do not want to do
Synonym: COMPEL [VN, VN to inf] The President was forced into resigning. + The President was forced to resign. + [VN to inf] I was forced to take a taxi because the last bus had left. + She forced herself to be polite to them. + [VN] He didn't force me-I wanted to go. + Ill health forced him into early retirement. + (spoken, humorous) 'I shouldn't really have any more.' 'Go on-force yourself!' + Public pressure managed to force a change in the government's position.
use physical strength
2 to use physical strength to move sb/sth into a particular position: [VN] to force a lock / window / door (= to break it open using force) + He tried to force a copy of his book into my hand. + to force an entry (= to enter a building using force) + She forced her way through the crowd of reporters. + [VN-ADJ] The door had been forced open.
make sth happen
3 [VN] to make sth happen, especially before other people are ready: He was in a position where he had to force a decision. + Building a new road here will force house prices down.
a smile / laugh
4 [VN] to make yourself smile, laugh, etc. rather than doing it naturally
fruit / plants
5 [VN] to make fruit, plants, etc. grow or develop faster than normal by keeping them in special conditions: forced rhubarb + (figurative) It is unwise to force a child's talent.
Idioms: force sb's hand to make sb do sth that they do not want to do or make them do it sooner than they had intended: They decided to strike to force the management's hand.
force the issue to do sth to make people take action on sth quickly
force the pace (especially BrE)
1 to run very fast in a race in order to make the other competitors run faster
2 to make sb do sth faster than they want to: The demonstrations have succeeded in forcing the pace of change.
more at THROAT
Phrasal Verbs: force sth<->back to make yourself hide an emotion: She swallowed hard and forced back her tears.
force sth<->down
1 to make yourself eat or drink sth that you do not really want: She felt sick but managed to force down a piece of toast.
2 to make a plane, etc. land, especially by threatening to attack it
force sb/sth on / upon sb to make sb accept sth that they do not want: to force your attentions / opinions / company on sb
force sth out of sb to make sb tell you sth, especially by threatening them: I managed to force the truth out of him.
WORD FAMILY
force n., v.
forceful adj.
forced adj. (=/= unforced)
forcible adj.
enforce v.

Thesaurus dictionary


n.
1 power, might, energy, strength, potency, vigour, intensity, violence, impact; dynamism, pressure:
The force of the blow knocked me down.
2 coercion, pressure, constraint, duress, compulsion, arm-twisting:
When persuasion failed, the guards resorted to force.
3 troops, soldiers, army:
NATO forces are on manoeuvres.
4 weight, persuasiveness, persistence, cogency, effectiveness, efficacy, strength, validity, significance, value:
The force of his argument was sufficient to convince us.
5 meaning, import, significance:
Are they able to cope with the full force of the word 'God'?
6 in force. in effect, effective, in operation, operative, valid, binding, current:
The ancient customs still remain in force. The law came into force at midnight.
v.
7 make, oblige, require, compel, coerce, exact, constrain, enforce, impel, intimidate, pressure or Brit also pressurize, press, dragoon, twist (someone's) arm, Colloq bulldoze, put the squeeze on (someone):
Each of us was forced to dig his own grave.
8 push, drive, thrust, propel; prise or prize, break, wrench, crack, jemmy, US pry:
The tornado forced the chair through the wall. He forced open the safe and took the money.
9 exact, extort, extract, wrest, wring, drag:
The CIA tried to force a confession from her.

Collocation dictionary


1 physical strength, power or violence

ADJ.

considerable, great, terrible, tremendous | full, maximum | brute, sheer | reasonable | sufficient | excessive | unlawful | deadly, lethal | explosive | physical | gale
The wind was increasing to gale force.

VERB + FORCE

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
Even the opposition MPs felt the force of the prime minister's argument.

PREP.

by ~
The king made laws and imposed them by force.

PHRASES

catch/experience/feel/meet/take the full force of sth
Our shop took the full force of the bomb blast. I felt the full force of her criticism.
| meet force with force
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 move

ADJ.

powerful, strong | weak | attractive | repulsive | balanced | external, internal
Deep internal forces cause movements of the earth's crust.
| lateral | centrifugal, centripetal, electromagnetic, electromotive, gravitational, mechanical, nuclear, tidal

VERB + FORCE

exert
The sun exerts a force on the earth.
| increase | decrease | balance
The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.

FORCE + VERB

balance sth

FORCE + NOUN

field
the force field of a magnet (figurative) It was as if an invisible force field kept us apart.

PREP.

~ 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
authority of sth

ADJ.

binding, legal, statutory
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

PREP.

in ~
Some laws relating to obsolete customs 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/influence

ADJ.

considerable, formidable, great, irresistible, major, overwhelming, potent, powerful, significant, strong | active, controlling, dominant, driving, moving | motivating | persuasive | constructive, creative, dynamic, positive, progressive | destructive, disruptive, negative, subversive
She was seen as a potentially subversive force within the party.
| cohesive, unifying | competitive, conflicting, countervailing, reactionary | internal | external, international, outside
The play portrays a marriage torn apart by external forces.
| 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.

PREP.

~ behind
Local parents were the driving force behind the project.
| ~ 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.

5 group of people trained for a particular purpose

ADJ.

large | small, token
a token force of only 300 men
| 100-strong, etc. | 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, sales
a company's labour force the country's labour force
| armed, military, paramilitary | government, loyal | enemy, guerrilla, hostile, occupying, opposition, rebel | regular | reserve | volunteer | conventional | nuclear | assault, defence, expeditionary, fighting, invasion, peace, peacekeeping, police, security, strike
(See also
task force
.)
| air, airborne, amphibious, ground, land, naval

VERB + 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
| deploy, use
A small peacekeeping force will be deployed in the area.
| withdraw | demobilize | command, head (up), lead | join
She decided to join the armed forces.
| 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.

PREP.

in a/the ~
people in the security forces

PHRASES

a member of a force, the withdrawal of a force
a UN deadline for the withdrawal of forces


Concise English dictionary


forces|forced|forcingfɔrs /fɔːs
noun
+a unit that is part of some military service
+one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority
+(physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity
+group of people willing to obey orders
+a powerful effect or influence
+an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
+physical energy or intensity
+a group of people having the power of effective action
+(of a law) having legal validity
+a putout of a base runner who is required to run; the putout is accomplished by holding the ball while touching the base to which the runner must advance before the runner reaches that base
verb
+to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"
+urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate
+move with force, "He pushed the table into a corner"
+impose or thrust urgently, importunately, or inexorably
+squeeze like a wedge into a tight space
+force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically
+do forcibly; exert force
+cause to move by pulling
+take by force