propel
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
propelsimple
-
propelssimple
-
have propelledperfect
-
has propelledperfect
-
am propellingprogressive
-
are propellingprogressive
-
is propellingprogressive
-
have been propellingperfect progressive
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has been propellingperfect progressive
Past
-
propelledsimple
-
had propelledperfect
-
was propellingprogressive
-
were propellingprogressive
-
had been propellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of propel
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English propellen “to expel,” from Latin prōpellere “to drive forward,” from prō- pro- 1 + pellere “to drive, push, strike”
Explanation
To propel is to push or drive forward, like a sheep dog nipping at the heels of his flock to keep them moving. When you hear the verb propel, imagine the propeller on an airplane — that spinning thing on the front that pulls the plane forward. Or maybe think of the old proverb that goes, “Our passions are the winds that propel our vessel. Our reason is the pilot that steers her. Without winds the vessel would not move and without a pilot she would be lost.”
Vocabulary lists containing propel
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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Maniac Magee
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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.
Depicting the singer as a Baroque aristocrat clad in contemporary designer fashion, the portrait helped propel González onto an international stage.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
Fears that the Hormuz crisis would propel oil to $150 or even $200 a barrel haven’t been realized.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
Investor consensus also continues to propel Musk, already the world's wealthiest person, whose role as Tesla CEO also brings exposure to new developments in autonomous driving and robotics.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
This preparation was never about Curacao and Bolivia, it was about getting enough positivity to propel them into Haiti week.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
She wants to propel herself into the dark and terrifying universe.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
