- 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.
