thrust

1 of 2

verb

thrust; thrusting

transitive verb

1
: to push or drive with force : shove
2
: to cause to enter or pierce something by or as if by pushing
thrust a dagger into his heart
3
4
5
a
: to put (someone, such as an unwilling person) forcibly into a course of action or position
was thrust into the job
b
: to introduce often improperly into a position : interpolate
6
: to press, force, or impose the acceptance of upon someone
thrust new responsibilities upon her

intransitive verb

1
a
: to force an entrance or passage
b
: to push forward : press onward
c
: to push upward : project
2
: to make a thrust, stab, or lunge with or as if with a pointed weapon
thrust at them with a knife

thrust

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a forward or upward push
b
: a movement (as by a group of people) in a specified direction
2
a
: salient or essential element or meaning
the thrust of the argument
b
: principal concern or objective
the plan's major thrust is testingRyan Lizza
3
a
: a strong continued pressure
b
: the sideways force or pressure of one part of a structure against another part (as of an arch against an abutment)
c
: the force produced by a propeller or by a jet or rocket engine that drives a vehicle (such as an aircraft) forward
d
: a nearly horizontal geologic fault
4
a
: a push or lunge with a pointed weapon
b(1)
: a verbal attack
(2)
: a military assault

Examples of thrust in a Sentence

Verb He thrust his hands into his pockets. He thrust his fist into the air. The doctor thrust the needle into the patient's arm. He thrust at me with his sword. Noun With one last thrust he broke through the barrier. a single thrust of his sword
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Loud, brash, stylish, and unashamedly Southern, the Sonic Boom of the South brought the house down with their performance, getting the crowd on their feet, waving towels, and thrusting their fists. Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 20 Nov. 2024 Moderate Republicans could come into the spotlight Trump’s ambitious plans could thrust moderate Republicans into the spotlight. Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
The Super Heavy booster is powered by 33 Raptor engines burning liquid methane and oxygen to generate more than 16 million pounds of thrust at full throttle, more than twice the liftoff power of NASA's legendary Saturn 5 moon rocket. William Harwood, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2024 Widebody aircraft typically have many more seats and often have a range of over 9,000 miles and heavy engines with 80,000 pounds of thrust or more. Dean Donovan, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for thrust 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English thrusten, thristen, from Old Norse thrȳsta; probably akin to Old Norse thrjōta to tire, Old English thrēat coercion — more at threat

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrust was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near thrust

Cite this Entry

“Thrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrust. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

thrust

1 of 2 verb
thrust; thrusting
1
: to push or drive with force : shove
2
: to cause to enter or pierce something by pushing
thrust a knife into the bread
3
: to press or force the acceptance of upon someone
thrust new responsibilities upon her

thrust

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a push or lunge with a pointed weapon
b
: a military attack
2
: the force produced by a propeller or jet or rocket engine that drives an aircraft or rocket forward
3
a
: a forward or upward push
b
: a movement (as by a group of people) in a particular direction

More from Merriam-Webster on thrust

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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