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thrust

Etymology and origin of the English word thrust

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1175
Borrowed from
Old Norse þrýsta via Middle English

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /θɹʌst/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English thrusten, borrowed from Old Norse þrýsta (“to thrust, force, press”),[2][3][4] from Proto-Germanic *þrūstijaną,[3][2] perhaps cognate with Latin trūdō (“to push, shove”),[2][5] from Proto-Indo-European *trewd- (“to push, press”) (see threat), though the OED finds this doubtful.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

To push with force: probably before 1200, in Layamon's Brut, in Barnhart, about 1200 in Etymonline;[2][3] the OED's earliest form is from about 1175.[6]

Semantic evolution

In Middle English it also meant to stab with a weapon.[3] The noun, an act of pressing, is from 1513, in Gavin Douglas's Aeneid,[2][5] and the act of pushing with force from 1580–83, in Sidney's Arcadia.[2][3] The propulsive force of an engine is from 1708 in Etymonline, 1870 in Barnhart.[3][2] The figurative sense, the main point or gist of an argument, is American English from 1963.[2][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1175 – thrust.[6]
  • 1513 – an act of pressing (noun).[2]
  • 1580–83 – a forceful push.[2]
  • 1708 – propulsive force.[3]
  • 1963 – the gist (US).[2]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To push suddenly or forcefully: she thrust it into the fire.
  2. To force upon someone or into a situation: thrust into the limelight.
  3. To stab or pierce; to force one's way.

Noun

  1. A sudden forceful push or lunge.
  2. The force produced by a jet or rocket engine that drives it forward.
  3. The main point or purpose of an argument or policy.

Word family

  • thruster
  • thrustful
  • counterthrust
  • outthrust
  • overthrust
  • unthrust
  • upthrust
  • underthrust
  • threat
  • intrude
  • extrude
  • protrude
  • abstruse

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

  • gap · also from Old Norse
  • bound · also from Old Norse
  • loose · also from Old Norse
  • gear · also from Old Norse
  • egg · also from Old Norse
  • trash · also from Old Norse
  • skill · also from Old Norse
  • odd · also from Old Norse
Cite this entry

“Thrust.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/thrust. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·