forced
UK: fɔːst | US: fɔːrst
adj. done against one’s will; compelled by pressure or necessity
adj. lacking naturalness or spontaneity; strained
vt. past tense and past participle of force (to compel or impose by strength)
The word forced originates from the verb force, derived from Old French forcier ("to compel, conquer"), which traces back to Latin fortiare ("to strengthen"), from fortis ("strong"). The suffix -ed marks it as a past participle, indicating completed action. Over time, forced evolved to describe both literal compulsion (e.g., "forced labor") and figurative lack of ease (e.g., "a forced smile"). The morpheme force retains its core meaning of strength or coercion, while -ed anchors it temporally or descriptively.
The soldiers forced the villagers to leave their homes.
Her laughter sounded forced and unnatural.
He made a forced apology to avoid further conflict.
The agreement was reached through forced negotiations.
The door was forced open during the robbery.