thrust
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to push something or someone suddenly and with a lot of force.
v.to push or drive something with sudden, significant force in a specific direction.
Simple“He thrust the heavy door open and ran into the street.”
In context“The crowd surged forward, and she was thrust against the metal railing by the sheer weight of the people behind her.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to force someone to accept or deal with something they did not want.
v.to force someone to accept a responsibility, role, or situation against their will or without preparation.
Simple“The leadership of the company was thrust upon him after the CEO resigned.”
In context“He found himself thrust into the international spotlight, a position he had neither sought nor desired during his quiet academic career.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the strong force that pushes a plane or rocket forward.
n.the propulsive force produced by a jet engine or rocket motor to overcome drag and gravity.
Simple“The rocket needs a huge amount of thrust to leave the Earth's atmosphere.”
In context“Engineers worked to increase the engine's thrust-to-weight ratio to ensure the aircraft could take off from shorter runways.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.the main idea or purpose of an argument, speech, or policy.
n.the principal purpose or central theme of a piece of writing, argument, or policy.
Simple“The main thrust of her speech was that we need to protect the environment.”
In context“While the report covered many minor issues, the central thrust of the investigation focused on systemic financial mismanagement.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sudden, powerful movement forward, often with a weapon like a sword.
n.a sudden or violent lunge or push, particularly a stabbing motion with a pointed weapon.
Simple“The fencer won the match with a final, quick thrust of his blade.”
In context“He parried the first attack but was unable to dodge the second thrust, which caught him off balance.”
“Photograph: Manuel Velasquez/Fifa/Getty Images As Faghani thrust his red card into the air, the Mexican fans celebrated as if they’d scored a goal.”
“It seems likely, however, that this new lead, thrust into the dangerous world of the xenomorph, will follow the IP’s tradition of strong female characters.”
From Middle English þrusten, from Old Norse þrysta, from Proto-Germanic þrustijaną, possibly from Proto-Indo-European trewd-.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.