Thrust

How to spell thrust

6 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce thrust

What does thrust mean?

1. verbTo push something suddenly and forcefully in a particular direction.
2. nounA forceful push, or the forward force produced by an engine, propeller, or jet.

Thrust in a sentence

• verb

  He had to thrust the heavy door open with his shoulder.

• noun

  The rocket needed more thrust to break free of the atmosphere.

• verb

  She would thrust her hands deep into her coat pockets against the cold.

• noun

  A single thrust of the spear ended the contest.

Where does thrust come from?

Language of origin: Old Norse

This is a word English borrowed from Old Norse, where the verb thrysta meant to press, squeeze, or force something. Norse settlers carried it into northern England during the Viking age, and by the Middle English period it had settled into the spelling and meaning we know today, with the sense of pushing forcefully or driving something forward. Over time the word also grew a noun life, naming both a single sudden push and, much later, the technical forward force produced by an engine or propeller. The blunt, consonant-heavy shape of the word (the cluster 'thr' at the front and 'st' at the end) is itself a clue to its Norse muscle, since Old Norse favoured exactly these compact, forceful sounds. There is no silent or hidden letter to trip the writer; the only mild trap is the 'thr' opening, which a few people soften to 'tr' in fast speech but must keep in writing.

How the word is built

• thrust (single Old Norse root meaning to press or push); no productive prefix or suffix