From Middle English þrusten, from Old Norse þrysta, from Proto-Germanic *þrustijaną, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *trewd-.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) An attack made by moving the sword parallel to its length and landing with the point.
Pierre was a master swordsman, and could parry the thrusts of lesser men with barely a thought.
(countable, uncountable) A push, stab, or lunge forward.
The cutpurse tried to knock her satchel from her hands, but she avoided his thrust and yelled, "Thief!"
Tilehurst […] began to pedal unhurryingly towards the anticipated lane, with the easy thrust of a man who has just made a substantial meal and knows that he has plenty of time and to spare for his appointment. 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
(countable, uncountable) The force generated by propulsion, as in a jet engine.
the pectoral fins are capable of generating high thrust during flutter 2026, Xiangxiang Wang, Hualong Xie and Sirui Li, “Effect of pectoral fin locomotion parameters on fish propulsive performance”, in Engineering Research Express, volume 8, number 7:
Spacecraft are engineering marvels, designed to resist the thrust of liftoff, as well as the reverse pressure of the void.
(countable, figuratively, uncountable) The primary effort; the goal.
Ostensibly, the class was about public health in general, but the main thrust was really sex education.
“The main thrust of it was that Britain is losing out, that Brexit it not delivering, our economy is in a weak position,” said the source. 2023 February 11, Toby Helm, “Revealed: secret cross-party summit held to confront failings of Brexit”, in The Observer, →ISSN:
As is normal for biopics, the movie takes liberties with the historical record, but the thrust of the narrative is not disputed. 2025 January 17, “The Guardian view on musical tastes: beware the algorithm comfort zone”, in The Guardian:
id dorongan (a lunge forward) · de Zielrichtung ((figurative) primary effort) · de Schub (force due to propulsion) · pt estocada (an attack with a sword) · da anfald (a lunge forward) · de Tenor ((figurative) primary effort) · nl steek (a lunge forward) · bg цел ((figurative) primary effort) · it stoccata (an attack with a sword) · mi pūmuka (a lunge forward) · es estocada (an attack with a sword) · fi työntövoima (force due to propulsion) · ca burxada (an attack with a sword) · cs výpad (an attack with a sword) · cmn 刺击 (an attack with a sword) · bg нападение (a lunge forward) · de Ziel ((figurative) primary effort) · bg устрем (a lunge forward) · sv knuff (an attack with a sword) · ja 突き (a lunge forward) · az hərəkət qüvvəsi (force due to propulsion) · fi pisto (an attack with a sword) · pt ímpeto (a lunge forward) · ca empenta (a lunge forward) · nb thrust (force due to propulsion) · nl stuwkracht (force due to propulsion) · ru вы́пад (a lunge forward) · it spinta (force due to propulsion) · fr poussée (force due to propulsion) · fi syöksy (a lunge forward) · pt impulso (force due to propulsion) · nl stoot (a lunge forward) · ms tujahan (force due to propulsion) · de Stoß (an attack with a sword) · sv mål ((figurative) primary effort) · cs tah (force due to propulsion) · es metedura (a push or stab) · pt ataque (a lunge forward) · de Druckkraft (force due to propulsion) · es empuje (a lunge forward) · da fremstød (a lunge forward) · nl druk (force due to propulsion) · bg мушкане (an attack with a sword) · de Druck (force due to propulsion) · es metida (a push or stab) · he אִבְחָה (an attack with a sword) · ru тя́га (force due to propulsion) · de Schubkraft (force due to propulsion) · ru уко́л (an attack with a sword) · sv framstöt (a lunge forward) · es empuje (force due to propulsion) · id dorongan (force due to propulsion) · es envión (force due to propulsion) · de Stich (a lunge forward) · ru уда́р (a lunge forward) · fi ydin ((figurative) primary effort) · fr estocade (an attack with a sword) · gd sparradh (a lunge forward) · sv dragkraft (force due to propulsion) · sv syfte ((figurative) primary effort) · ms tujahan (a lunge forward) · pt ênfase ((figurative) primary effort) · cmn 推力 (force due to propulsion) · km ដំណើរហក់ (a lunge forward) · sv anfall (a lunge forward) · tl sikad (force due to propulsion) · da mål ((figurative) primary effort) · nl steek (an attack with a sword) · ja 突き (an attack with a sword) · bg тяга (force due to propulsion) · da stød (an attack with a sword) · ca estocada (an attack with a sword) · es énfasis ((figurative) primary effort) · bg пронизване (an attack with a sword) · hi प्रणोद (force due to propulsion) · pt impulso (a lunge forward) · gl pulo (a lunge forward) · bg прицел ((figurative) primary effort) · de Stoß (a lunge forward) · sv stöt (an attack with a sword) · tl sikad (a lunge forward) · de Vorstoß (a lunge forward) · nb skyvekraft (force due to propulsion) · ca empenta (force due to propulsion) · az dartı qüvvəsi (force due to propulsion) · eo puŝi (a lunge forward) · az dartıcı qüvvə (force due to propulsion) · es envión (a lunge forward) · de Stoßrichtung ((figurative) primary effort)
From Middle English þrusten, from Old Norse þrysta, from Proto-Germanic *þrustijaną, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *trewd-.
Meanings
(intransitive) To make advance with force.
We thrust at the enemy with our forces.
(transitive) To force something upon someone.
It is my earnest hope that the bitter lessons China has learned may prove instructive to countries and governments, and especially those in Asia which now face the same threat of Communism. Often it is not easy for most people to realize the presence of this threat in their midst, and by the time they do, it may already be too late to prevent its thrusting them behind the Iron Curtain at least for a time. 1957, Chiang Chung-cheng (Kai-shek), “Introduction”, in Soviet Russia in China: A Summing-up at Seventy, New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 7:
I asked her not to thrust the responsibility on me.
(transitive) To push out or extend rapidly or powerfully.
He thrust his arm into the icy stream and grabbed a wriggling fish, astounding the observers.
Towers thrusting skyward.
Three chairs of the steamer type, all maimed, comprised the furniture of this roof-garden, with […] on one of the copings a row of four red clay flower-pots filled with sun-baked dust from which gnarled and rusty stalks thrust themselves up like withered elfin limbs. 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter I (Anarchy), pages 377–378:
(transitive) To push or drive with force; to shove.
Into a Dungeon thruſt, to work with Slaves? 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 28:
to thrust anything with the hand or foot, or with an instrument
(intransitive) To enter by pushing; to squeeze in.
And thrust between my father and the god. 1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero:
fi työntää (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · ja 刺す (make an advance with force) · grc ὠθέω (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · de stürmen (make an advance with force) · sv knuffa (make an advance with force) · ru навя́зывать (force something upon someone) · fi työntää (force something upon someone) · enm launcen (push or drive something with force) · de aufdrängen (force something upon someone) · gd stob (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · cmn 推力 (make an advance with force) · ja 押す (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · es empellar (push or drive something with force) · pl forsować (make an advance with force) · ru пихну́ть (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · bg пъхна (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · es empujar (push or drive something with force) · ja 押す (make an advance with force) · ota صوقمق (push or drive something with force) · pt estender (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · no støt (make an advance with force) · bg натрапвам (force something upon someone) · km រុញច្រាន (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · la trūdō (push or drive something with force) · bg устремя се (make an advance with force) · ja 突く (make an advance with force) · de schieben (make an advance with force) · es cernear (push or drive something with force) · fi sysätä (force something upon someone) · bg устремявам се (make an advance with force) · da lange ud (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · da skubbe (push or drive something with force) · ro buși (make an advance with force) · fj sua (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · da påtvinge (force something upon someone) · es empeller (push or drive something with force) · es asestar (stab) · mi whakatoro (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · ja 突く (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · la trūdō (force something upon someone) · fr propulser (make an advance with force) · pl sforsować (make an advance with force) · bg мушна (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · gd buail (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · de schieben (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · ko 돌격하다 (make an advance with force) · is þrýsta (push or drive something with force) · bg забия (push or drive something with force) · bg пронижа (push or drive something with force) · bg пъхам (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · hu taszít (make an advance with force) · da støde (make an advance with force) · de drängen (force something upon someone) · pt esticar (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · nl vooruitstuwen (make an advance with force) · rar kō (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · sv stöta (make an advance with force) · ro împunge (make an advance with force) · bg мушкам (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · tr saplamak (stab) · pt socar (push or drive something with force) · mi whakaete (make an advance with force) · de entgegenwerfen (make an advance with force) · pt empurrar (make an advance with force) · mi whakatoro (force something upon someone) · fi iskeä (make an advance with force) · ru пиха́ть (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · de stoßen (make an advance with force) · es forzar (force something upon someone) · enm werpen (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · fi sysätä (make an advance with force) · mi whātoro (force something upon someone) · ru наступа́ть (make an advance with force) · fi sysätä (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · es empentar (push or drive something with force) · bg забивам (push or drive something with force) · de stecken (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · mi pūmuka (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · de stechen (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · mi torohaki (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · ru толкну́ть (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · de stoßen (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · ro împinge (make an advance with force) · fi työntyä (make an advance with force) · ota صاپلامق (stab) · mi kōkō (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · km រុញច្រាន (make an advance with force) · tr sançmak (stab) · ja 刺す (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · bg пронизвам (push or drive something with force) · es propulsar (make an advance with force) · ru толка́ть (push out or extend rapidly or powerfully) · nl opdringen (force something upon someone)