Standard Lemma guide

forceful

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːsfəl/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˈfɔːsfl̩]
  • Australia, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard: /ˈfoːsfəl/
  • Australia, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard: [ˈfoːsfl̩]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈfoɹsfəl/
  • General-American: [ˈfoɹsfl̩]
  • Scotland: /ˈfoɾsfəl/
  • Scotland: [ˈfoɾsfl̩]
  • CMU ARPABET: F AO1 R S F AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Capable of either physical or coercive force; powerful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • forceful leader
  • forceful speech
  • She gave a forceful argument against the proposal.
  • His forceful personality often dominated discussions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a forceful speaker
  • a forceful personality
  • forceful measures
  • a forceful plan for peace

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: forceless

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

forceful and definite in expression or action

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the document contained a particularly emphatic guarantee of religious liberty

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: emphatic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From force + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: силен (silen) — powerful
  • Bulgarian: мощен (mošten) — powerful
  • German: energisch — powerful
  • German: zwingend — powerful
  • Irish: fórsúil — powerful
  • Irish: láthair — powerful
  • Old Irish: cathach — powerful
  • Kabuverdianu: agresivu — powerful
  • Kabuverdianu: agresive — powerful
  • Spanish: poderoso — powerful
  • Spanish: potente — powerful
  • Spanish: enérgico — powerful