thrust

play

verb \ˈthrəst\

Definition of thrust

thrust

;

thrusting

transitive verb
1 : to push or drive with force : shove
2 : to cause to enter or pierce something by or as if by pushing thrust a dagger into his heart
3 : extend, spread
4 : stab, pierce
5a : to put (someone, such as an unwilling person) forcibly into a course of action or position was thrust into the jobb : to introduce often improperly into a position : interpolate
6 : to press, force, or impose the acceptance of upon someone thrust new responsibilities upon her
intransitive verb
1a : to force an entrance or passageb : to push forward : press onwardc : to push upward : project
2 : to make a thrust, stab, or lunge with or as if with a pointed weapon thrust at them with a knife

See thrust defined for English-language learners

See thrust defined for kids

Examples of thrust in a Sentence

He thrust his hands into his pockets.
He thrust his fist into the air.
The doctor thrust the needle into the patient's arm.
He thrust at me with his sword.

Recent Examples of thrust from the Web

Stunned and terrified, Maria thrust her designer handbag, jewelry, and ATM card on the front seat, lying that her cheap gold hoop earrings were expensive and reciting her pin number.

— hannah seligson, Cosmopolitan, "Your Mobile Apps Are More Dangerous Than You Think," 15 July 2017
Jones was thrust into action last season after presumptive starter at quarterback, Thomas Sirk, tore his Achilles in the offseason.

— c jackson cowart, charlotteobserver, "Duke soph Daniel Jones of Charlotte gives coach a measure of comfort at quarterback," 14 July 2017
But the FIU study, as the Penn State studies before it, will likely thrust home sharing into the national spotlight again — bringing a new kind of Airbnb battle to South Florida.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "The battle between Airbnb and hotels is getting dirty — and FIU is caught in the middle," 10 July 2017
Piacsek, a physics professor at Central Washington University, stands on the only flat surface: a metal grating suspended above claw-like serrations thrusting up from the floor.

— sandi doughton, The Seattle Times, "A room where sound goes to die — and scientists go to study," 3 July 2017
That attitude thrust him into stardom and then out - and into President Donald Trump's inner circle and then to its edge.

— robert costa, chicagotribune.com, "From 'Bridgegate' to 'Beachgate': How Chris Christie's hubris hobbled his political career," 3 July 2017
Feeling someone's body on top of you, thrusting, drenching the both of you in sweat, all the while maintaining eye contact?

— sophie saint thomas, Glamour, "Missionary Position Is the Kinkiest Sex Position," 30 June 2017
My #1 tip for pleasurable anal sex is to do it doggy style, and while your man is thrusting away (slowly at first!) use your hand to stimulate your clitoris.

— anna breslaw, Cosmopolitan, "Your Anal Sex Questions Answered By Women Who've Had It," 23 June 2017
Avildsen’s films often studied the fraught relationships between different kinds of people thrust into similar circumstances.

— emma stefansky, VanityFair.com, "Oscar-Winning Rocky Director John G. Avildsen Dies at 81," 17 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thrust.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of thrust

Middle English thrusten, thristen, from Old Norse thrȳsta; probably akin to Old Norse thrjōta to tire, Old English thrēat coercion — more at threat

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

thrust

noun

Definition of thrust

1a : a forward or upward pushb : a movement (as by a group of people) in a specified direction
2a : salient or essential element or meaning the thrust of the argumentb : principal concern or objective the plan's major thrust is testing — Ryan Lizza
3a : a strong continued pressureb : the sideways force or pressure of one part of a structure against another part (as of an arch against an abutment)c : the force produced by a propeller or by a jet or rocket engine that drives a vehicle (such as an aircraft) forwardd : a nearly horizontal geological fault
4a : a push or lunge with a pointed weaponb (1) : a verbal attack (2) : a military assault

See thrust defined for English-language learners

Examples of thrust in a Sentence

With one last thrust he broke through the barrier.
a single thrust of his sword

Recent Examples of thrust from the Web

The thrust of these counterarguments is that the main characters did nothing wrong because the law simply doesn’t penalize anything that happened at the meeting.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "No, Donald Trump Jr. Doesn’t Have a First Amendment Right to Get Freebies From the Russians," 16 July 2017
Snappy low-speed throttle response is satisfying, but the engine loses gumption on the highway, leaving us thirsty for thrust.

— eric stafford, Car and Driver, "2017 Mazda CX-5," 14 July 2017
Why this matters: AMD’s disclosure is a new thrust in the ongoing slow-motion fencing match between Threadripper and Intel’s Core i9.

— mark hachman, PCWorld, "AMD Threadripper prices undercut Intel's Core i9 by as much as $1,000," 13 July 2017
The typically low profile position Schaub occupies has been thrust into the headlines this year thanks to the many ethical quagmires created by different members of the Trump administration.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "Government Ethics Chief Steps Down After Determining His Existence Is Futile," 6 July 2017
Snatched (July 25) Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer are a mother and daughter thrust into all sorts of South American criminal trouble while on vacation together in this blockbuster comedy.

— nick schager, Esquire, "Here Are the Must-Stream Movies of July 2017," 30 June 2017
One recent Wednesday, a dozen women walked into Saks on Fifth Avenue, tucked their purses into lockers and got to work performing squat thrusts and jumping jack intervals during an hourlong boot camp.

— kelli kennedy, Detroit Free Press, "Retailers work to win you over -- body and wallet," 29 June 2017
Thousands of abductees have been thrust, untreated, into communities that are not equipped to tend to their wounds.

— TIME.com, "Boko Haram’s Other Victims," 27 June 2017
Edge Of Tomorrow (2014) Character: Will Cage Motivation: Cage, a PR man for the military, is thrust into combat and must kill the energy source of an alien life form overtaking Europe without dying.

— jake kring-schreifels, Esquire, "How Tom Cruise Rebranded Himself Into Our Most Reliable Action Hero," 10 June 2017

First Known Use of thrust

14th century

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

airway, apron, corridor, dirigible, fishtail, flat-hat, vector

THRUST Defined for English Language Learners

thrust

play

verb

Definition of thrust for English Language Learners

: to push (someone or something) with force
: to cause (something sharp) to enter or go through something else by pushing
: to make a sudden, strong, forward movement at someone or something with a weapon

thrust

noun

Definition of thrust for English Language Learners

: a forward or upward push
: the main point or meaning of something
: the main concern or purpose of something

THRUST Defined for Kids

thrust

play

verb \ˈthrəst\

Definition of thrust for Students

thrust

;

thrusting

1 : to push with force : shove The small man thrust the lamp into Will's hand. — Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising
2 : pierce 1, stab
3 : extend 1 He thrust out his arm.
4 : to press the acceptance of on someone New responsibilities were thrust on her.