What's in a name?
3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Forcible \For"ci*ble\, adjective [Cf. OF. forcible forcible, forceable that may be forced.]

1. Possessing force; characterized by force, efficiency, or energy; powerful; efficacious; impressive; influential.

How forcible are right words! --Job. vi. 2?.

Sweet smells are most forcible in dry substances, when broken. --Bacon.

But I have reasons strong and forcible. --Shak.

That punishment which hath been sometimes forcible to bridle sin. --Hooker.

He is at once elegant and sublime, forcible and ornamented. --Lowth (Transl. )

2. Violent; impetuous.

Like mingled streams, more forcible when joined. --Prior.

3. Using force against opposition or resistance; obtained by compulsion; effected by force; as, forcible entry or abduction.

In embraces of King James . . . forcible and unjust. --Swift.

{Forcible entry and detainer} (Law), the entering upon and taking and withholding of land and tenements by actual force and violence, and with a strong hand, to the hindrance of the person having the right to enter.

Syn: Violent; powerful; strong; energetic; mighty; potent; weighty; impressive; cogent; influential.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

forcible

adjective: impelled by physical force especially against resistance; "forcible entry"; "a real cop would get physical"; "strong-arm tactics" [syn: {physical}, {strong-arm}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

135 Moby Thesaurus words for "forcible": accented, accentuated, acid, active, acute, aggressive, animated, armipotent, assertive, authoritative, beefy, biting, bouncing, brisk, bulldozer, coercive, cogent, corrosive, cutting, decided, doughty, drastic, driving, dynamic, effective, emphasized, emphatic, energetic, enterprising, enthusiastic, forceful, forcy, full of pep, full-blooded, full-strength, go-go, gutsy, gutty, hale, hard, hard as nails, hardy, hearty, hefty, high-potency, high-powered, high-pressure, high-tension, husky, imperative, impetuous, impressive, in force, in power, in red letters, incisive, intense, iron-hard, irresistible, italicized, keen, kinetic, lively, living, lusty, mettlesome, mighty, mighty in battle, militant, mordant, nervous, nervy, obstinate, operative, penetrating, peppy, piercing, poignant, pointed, positive, potent, powerful, prepotent, puissant, punchy, punctuated, red-blooded, robust, robustious, rugged, ruling, self-assertive, sensational, severe, sinewed, sinewy, slashing, sledgehammer, smacking, snappy, spanking, spirited, stalwart, starred, steamroller, steely, stout, strapping, strenuous, stressed, striking, stringent, strong, strong as brandy, strong as strong, strong-arm, strong-willed, sturdy, take-charge, take-over, telling, trenchant, underlined, underscored, valid, vehement, vibrant, vigorous, violent, vital, vivacious, vivid, zestful, zesty, zippy

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