Meaning & use
forced
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Done because someone or something leaves you no choice, rather than because you want to.
Grammar: Comes before the noun: a forced landing, not a landing forced.
Patterns
- forced labor
- forced to do something
The storm caused a forced landing at a small airport.
The company announced forced retirement for senior staff.
Forced labor is banned under international law.
adjectivecomparable
Looking or sounding unnatural because of obvious effort.
Grammar: Can follow a linking verb: his laugh sounded forced.
Patterns
- sound forced
- a forced smile
She gave a forced smile at the awkward joke.
The conversation felt forced and polite.
His forced cheerfulness fooled nobody.
Common combinations
- forced smile
- He managed a forced smile for the photograph.
- forced landing
- The pilot made a forced landing in a field.
- forced entry
- Police found no sign of forced entry.
- forced labor
- The report described forced labor on the farm.
- forced laughter
- The room filled with forced laughter.
Synonyms and how they differ
- compulsory
- Compulsory means required by a rule, whereas forced suggests pressure or circumstances.
- unnatural
- Unnatural describes anything that seems wrong, while forced points to visible effort.
- strained
- Strained is close for tense atmospheres, but forced is used more for expressions and actions.
- involuntary
- Involuntary suggests an action done without will, like a reflex, rather than under outside pressure.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: forced or forceful?
forced vs forceful
Forceful describes strong and confident people or arguments; forced describes things done under pressure or without natural ease.
Practice
Her laugh sounded ______, as if she did not find the joke funny.
Choose one answer.
Forced means unnatural and strained. Forceful means powerful, so it does not fit a fake laugh.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.