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Synonyms

forced

American  
[fawrst, fohrst] / fɔrst, foʊrst /

adjective

  1. enforced or compulsory.

    forced labor.

  2. strained, unnatural, or affected.

    a forced smile.

  3. subjected to force.

  4. required by circumstances; emergency.

    a forced landing of an airplane.
forced British  
/ fɔːst, ˈfɔːsɪdlɪ /

adjective

  1. done because of force; compulsory

    forced labour

  2. false or unnatural

    a forced smile

  3. due to an emergency or necessity

    a forced landing

  4. physics caused by an external agency

    a forced vibration

    a forced draught
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • forcedly adverb
  • forcedness noun
  • quasi-forced adjective
  • unforced adjective
  • unforcedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of forced

First recorded in 1540–50; force + -ed 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A vote could be forced as early as Wednesday, she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Carol Boon said the experience was "just horrible", while Max Hume said he had been forced to spend £1,800 to get home.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

The union's top negotiator, Harry Jaeger, told AFP on Friday that the strike forced the aviation giant to cancel about 90 percent of flights by those two brands.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

As the jets expand outward, they are forced to bend and twist as they interact with this dense environment.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

“Well, I know they seem really”—I forced out the word—“kind? And funny?”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.