Thrust

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /θɹʌst/

Definitions

1. To push something suddenly and with force ; a forward movement or attack made swiftly ; the main point or essential idea of an argument
2. Applying sudden pressure by pushing strongly ; an aggressive advance or lunge forward ; the fundamental theme or core assertion in a discussion
3. The act of forcing or driving forward quickly ; a rapid attack or physical move that propels onward ; the central meaning or most important aspect of a statement

Etymology: The verb "thrust" came into English from Old Norse, not from the Latin or French that supply so many of our forceful verbs. Its Middle English ancestor "þrusten" was borrowed from Old Norse "þrysta," meaning to press or squeeze, and the Norse word belonged to the same ancient Germanic family that gave English its own sense of pressing and pushing. The Germanic root behind it, reconstructed as "*þrustijaną," is thought to be connected to a much older Indo-European root, though that link remains uncertain. What makes the story notable is the direction of the borrowing: Norse speakers were influential in northern and eastern England during the centuries after the Viking settlements, and everyday verbs of physical action often came across in exactly this way. "Thrust" sits among a group of blunt, muscular English words that stayed close to their Germanic sense of hard pressure rather than acquiring the abstract, polished tone of Latin imports.

Synonyms: push, shove, drive, force, propel

Antonyms: pull, retract, withdraw, draw back, resist