thrust
Americanverb (used with object)
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to push forcibly; shove; put or drive with force.
He thrust his way through the crowd. She thrust a dagger into his back.
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to put boldly forth or impose acceptance of.
to thrust oneself into a conversation between others; to thrust a dollar into the waiter's hand.
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to extend; present.
He thrust his fist in front of my face.
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Archaic. to stab or pierce, as with a sword.
She thrust his back with a dagger.
verb (used without object)
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to push against something.
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to push or force one's way, as against obstacles or through a crowd.
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to make a thrust, lunge, or stab at something.
noun
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an act or instance of thrusting; a forcible push or shove; lunge or stab.
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a lunge or stab, as with a sword.
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Mechanics. a linear reactive force exerted by a propeller, propulsive gases, etc., to propel a ship, aircraft, etc.
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Geology. a compressive strain in the crust of the earth that, in its most characteristic development, produces reverse or thrust faults.
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the main point, purpose, or essence.
The thrust of his speech was an urgent appeal for votes.
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Machinery. a pushing force or pressure exerted by a thing or a part against a contiguous one.
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Architecture. the downward and outward force exerted by an arch on each side.
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an organized military attack; assault; offensive.
verb
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(tr) to push (someone or something) with force or sudden strength
she thrust him away
she thrust it into the fire
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(tr) to force or impose upon (someone) or into (some condition or situation)
they thrust extra responsibilities upon her
she was thrust into the limelight
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to pierce; stab
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(intr; usually foll by through or into) to force a passage or entrance
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(intr) to push forwards, upwards, or outwards
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to make a stab or lunge at (a person or thing)
noun
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a forceful drive, push, stab, or lunge
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a force, esp one that produces motion
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a propulsive force produced by the fluid pressure or the change of momentum of the fluid in a jet engine, rocket engine, etc
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a similar force produced by a propeller
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a pressure that is exerted continuously by one part of an object, structure, etc, against another, esp the axial force by or on a shaft
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geology
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the compressive force in the earth's crust that produces recumbent folds and thrust or reverse faults
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See thrust fault
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civil engineering a force exerted in a downwards and outwards direction, as by an arch or rafter, or the horizontal force exerted by retained earth
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force, impetus, or drive
a man with thrust and energy
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the essential or most forceful part
the thrust of the argument
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thrustsimple
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thrustssimple
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have thrustperfect
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has thrustperfect
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am thrustingprogressive
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are thrustingprogressive
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is thrustingprogressive
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have been thrustingperfect progressive
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has been thrustingperfect progressive
Past
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thrustsimple
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had thrustperfect
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was thrustingprogressive
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were thrustingprogressive
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had been thrustingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thrust
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English thrusten, thrysten (verb), from Old Norse thrȳsta “to force, press”
Explanation
To thrust is to push forward quickly and forcibly, like the way a pirate would plunge or thrust a sword into his enemy. Thrust is often used when you're talking about knives or swords or jabbing someone with something. In fact, a thrust refers to a sharp blow or stab. Violence aside, thrust can be any kind of forceful push or driving force. Aggressive street vendors thrust their wares on you and young movie stars are thrust into the limelight at an early age — which may be disconcerting, but certainly is not as frightening a knife thrust in your direction.
Vocabulary lists containing thrust
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Middle School
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Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
It bothered Lacy, a serious artist who wrote with Kendrick Lamar and earned a Grammy nomination as a teenager in the R&B collective The Internet, suddenly thrust into living meme territory with “Bad Habit.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The sale marks the end of a turbulent chapter for the estate, which was thrust into the spotlight in March 2024 when Homeland Security agents raided the property as part of their investigation into Combs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
As an ordinary man thrust into a world of monsters and maniacs, Neill is inherently playing with ideas about art and celebrity that reflect his own career.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Tuchel, meanwhile, is one of the world's most respected coaches, who openly relishes the cut and thrust of knockout football - as he proved when winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
The harder you stomped on the plastic bottle, the more thrust you generated, and the farther the foam-tipped rocket flew.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
During a typical session, he does supersets of barbell hip thrusts, planks and walking lunges with 30-pound dumbbells.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
Tuason thrusts that sense one step further, framing Evy with plenty of negative space around her.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026
The ruling thrusts the global trade economy into new and unfamiliar terrain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Straightaway, “Nouvelle Vague” thrusts you into a razor-smart club and demands you keep up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025
Suddenly Lev thrusts his hand back and grabs mine.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
"The spacecraft is in great shape, and we're on schedule to resume sustained thrusting with the solar-electric propulsion system later this fall."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
That milestone was also recently hit by Samsung Electronics and US chipmaker Micron -- with AI thrusting the three memory chip firms into a previously exclusive club of around a dozen companies, nearly all American.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
As amiable as the movie is from the jump, it wastes no time thrusting viewers into a world in complete peril, refusing to sugarcoat the modern realities of a once-robust industry.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
Its thrusting imperiousness isn’t confidence but an admission of defeat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
No, I thought with despair, thrusting aside the small core of suspicion each time it formed.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
