force-feed

verb

force-fed ˈfȯrs-ˌfed How to pronounce force-feed (audio) ; force-feeding

transitive verb

1
: to feed (a person or an animal) by forcible administration of food
2
: to force to take in
force-feed students the classics
also used with a single object
force-feed the classics to students
force-feed students with the classics

Examples of force-feed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The evil entertainer has yet to force-feed or directly torture any of his unwitting audience members with excrement. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025 In previous livestreams, Graven was beaten, strangled, force-fed and peppered with paintballs, according to publications including the Telegraph and CNN that reviewed the content. Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025 There was the constant Tom Brady and Bill Belichick chatter as we were constantly force-fed one reminder after another about what the Miami Dolphins had done in 1972. Geoffrey Knox, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 Take, for example, the first victim portrays gluttony: a man with obesity is force-fed literally to death via hemorrhage. Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 27 June 2025 Public pressure mounted, including from the United Nations, and a court order required authorities to stop force-feeding the group. Jimmy Jenkins, USA Today, 27 June 2025 The federal government is seeking permission to force-feed an Iranian asylum-seeker on hunger strike while detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Arizona. Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 And do those keys happen to unlock a Time Laser or a psychotic artificial intelligence robot force-feeding contestants pizza and ice cream? Dalton Ross, EW.com, 16 June 2025 When their characters begin fighting, Shauna ultimately bites Melissa’s arm before force-feeding her a piece of it. Jenelle Riley, Variety, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of force-feed was in 1901

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Force-feed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/force-feed. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

force-feed

verb
ˈfō(ə)rs-ˌfēd,
ˈfȯ(ə)rs-
force-fed
-ˌfed
; force-feeding
1
: to feed (an animal or person) by forcefully giving food
2
: to force to take in
force-feed the classics to students

More from Merriam-Webster on force-feed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!