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verb Force v. t. To stuff; to lard; to farce. (R.) "Wit larded with malice, and malice forced with wit."
Force v. t. (past & past part. forced; pres. part. forcing) 1.To constrain to do or to forbear, by the exertion of a power not resistible; to compel by physical, moral, or intellectual means; to coerce; as, masters force slaves to labor. 2.To compel, as by strength of evidence; as, to force conviction on the mind. 3.To do violence to; to overpower, or to compel by violence to one's will; especially, to ravish; to violate; to commit rape upon. "To force their monarch and insult the court." "I should have forced thee soon wish other arms." "To force a spotless virgin's chastity." 4.To obtain, overcome, or win by strength; to take by violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm, as a fortress; as, to force the castle; to force a lock. 5.To impel, drive, wrest, extort, get, etc., by main strength or violence; with a following adverb, as along, away, from, into, through, out, etc. "It stuck so fast, so deeply buried lay That scarce the victor forced the steel away." "To force the tyrant from his seat by war." "Ethelbert ordered that none should be forced into religion." 6.To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce. (Obs.) "What can the church force more?" 7.To exert to the utmost; to urge; hence, to strain; to urge to excessive, unnatural, or untimely action; to produce by unnatural effort; as, to force a conceit or metaphor; to force a laugh; to force fruits. "High on a mounting wave my head I bore, Forcing my strength, and gathering to the shore." 8.(Whist) To compel (an adversary or partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit of which he has none. 9.To provide with forces; to reenforce; to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison. (Obs.) 10.To allow the force of; to value; to care for. (Obs.) "For me, I force not argument a straw." Synonyms: To compel; constrain; oblige; necessitate; coerce; drive; press; impel.
Force v. i. (Obs. in all the senses.) 1.To use violence; to make violent effort; to strive; to endeavor. "Forcing with gifts to win his wanton heart." 2.To make a difficult matter of anything; to labor; to hesitate; hence, to force of, to make much account of; to regard. "Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear." "I force not of such fooleries." 3.To be of force, importance, or weight; to matter. "It is not sufficient to have attained the name and dignity of a shepherd, not forcing how."
adjective Forced adj. Done or produced with force or great labor, or by extraordinary exertion; hurried; strained; produced by unnatural effort or pressure; as, a forced style; a forced laugh. Forced draught. See under Draught. Forced march (Mil.), a march of one or more days made with all possible speed.
Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48
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