forceful

adjective

force·​ful ˈfȯrs-fəl How to pronounce forceful (audio)
: possessing or filled with force : effective
a forceful argument
forcefulness noun

Example Sentences

He has a very forceful personality. She's a confident and forceful leader. They have made a forceful argument in favor of changing the system. The government has threatened to use more forceful measures if necessary.
Recent Examples on the Web The same can be said of Giovanni, who raps with a conversational ease that’s either confident and casual or forceful and motivational, whichever the beat demands. Max Bell, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2023 But Denise was a dancer, and every week those forceful limbs of hers were being refined by ballet aesthetics. Margo Jefferson, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Feb. 2023 The panel interviewed several of Trump’s Cabinet secretaries about discussions of invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment — the forceful removal of Trump from power by his own Cabinet. Mary Clare Jalonick, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Dec. 2022 Even if Silo had had a forceful antagonist, the focus of the first 10 episodes still would have meandered, lasering in on a murder mystery one moment, drifting off to an existential crisis the next. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 May 2023 Still, some poachers remain undeterred and some activists argue their increasingly forceful methods – operating at night and often carrying weapons – mean the issue would be better handled by police than the AFCD. Chris Lau, CNN, 29 Apr. 2023 In the past, civil rights activists have complained about the city police department’s use of military-style vehicles, pepper balls and forceful crowd control tactics during spring break, which attracts many Black visitors to a city whose resident population is largely white. Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2023 This morning, Selena Gomez gave her most forceful statement yet to ask for the TikTok discourse comparing her and Hailey Bieber to stop. Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 24 Mar. 2023 Murdoch's forceful arrest prompted a reaction that led police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets, the Journal Sentinel previously reported. Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forceful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forceful was in 1571

Dictionary Entries Near forceful

Cite this Entry

“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forceful. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

forceful

adjective
force·​ful ˈfōrs-fəl How to pronounce forceful (audio)
ˈfȯrs-
: having or done with much force : vigorous
a forceful speech
forcefully adverb
forcefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on forceful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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