adjective
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powerful
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persuasive or effective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of forceful
Explanation
Something forceful is strong and firm. A politician's forceful speech is self-assured and energetic, and it makes the audience sit up and take notice. One meaning of forceful is all about physical strength: "The forceful throw carried the football past the goalposts." Another way to be forceful is to be emphatic or vehement: "The child's forceful refusal to go to bed could not be ignored by the sleepy babysitter." Forceful literally means "full of force," and force comes from the Latin fortis, "strong, firm, or steadfast."
Vocabulary lists containing forceful
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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Vigorous Vocab: Synonyms for "Strong"
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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.
“The most forceful counter,” he added, may be a greater focus on buybacks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Prosecutors opened a probe into the killings and the state government promised "an immediate and forceful response," while noting that violence like this had been on the decline.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Adalja said it is more forceful, with an urgency to go.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Reflecting on any future potential mayoral candidates, she said: "I don't know whether the new candidate will be as forceful as he was."
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
All this means that the most fearsome quakes are not necessarily the most forceful, though force obviously counts for a lot.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
