1
as in compelling
having the power to persuade
made a very forceful argument against going to war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
kept asking until I gave a very forceful and blunt "no"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in strong
not showing weakness or uncertainty
took a forceful stand on the highly controversial issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others
a forceful speaker whose words moved the audience to tears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of forceful
President Ronald Reagan, more forceful in his Cold War aims and, like Kissinger, wary of human rights considerations, still adhered to the State Department human rights reporting requirements.
—
Time, 21 May 2025
His competing agents will want and expect a speedy and forceful sanction.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Standing behind a lectern and speaking in a forceful tone, Richardson said in his experience carrying out reforms that roughly 20% of an organization will resist.
—Leah Douglas, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Fares Fares is a forceful actor who dramatizes George’s movie-star vanity from the inside out.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Time, 21 May 2025
His competing agents will want and expect a speedy and forceful sanction.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Standing behind a lectern and speaking in a forceful tone, Richardson said in his experience carrying out reforms that roughly 20% of an organization will resist.
—Leah Douglas, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Fares Fares is a forceful actor who dramatizes George’s movie-star vanity from the inside out.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
-
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
8 June 2025
-
Should protected information shared in confidence, in the setting of illness, with a high-stakes power differential, be fodder for writing—no matter how compelling?—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Addressing the Obvious Critiques Yes, 3–4% real growth is aggressive.—
Don Muir,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
After the aggressive animal showed no signs of leaving, the woman’s boyfriend fatally shot it, officials said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
-
According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Giorgio’s death served to protect larger interests, such as contracts and political relationships between the city’s influential families.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
However, the attributes that make someone truly effective in a comms leadership role are often less flashy, and far more influential, than many people may realize.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
The White Sox snapped their KC losing streak Friday and followed with a convincing 4-1 win on Saturday.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2025
-
For example, the models may produce convincing but incorrect summaries or analyses of sensitive data, creating risks when accuracy is critical for national security decisions.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Florida native has notched seven consecutive wins, with his last three title defenses all ending in emphatic second-round finishes.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
-
Later in the quarter, Haliburton leaked ahead for an emphatic transition dunk.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
That piece, and the book that would follow, has become a staple of environmental humanities classes for decades and still stirs vigorous classroom debate today.—
Daegan Miller
June 5,
Literary Hub,
5 June 2025
-
Media reports that Saudi Arabia will lift its decades-old ban on alcohol in select tourist zones have prompted the flare-up of a vigorous online debate in the conservative kingdom, with some voices in support and others in strong opposition.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
The most authoritative research on the risk to California was conducted in 2015, but little has changed in the past decade.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
-
In fact, their literature review suggests that many dog owners naturally fall into parenting patterns that largely mirror those of actual parents: permissive, authoritarian or authoritative.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share