Everyday · Arguing & persuading · Politics & society
Coerce: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Coerce verb. To make someone do something by using force, threats or pressure.
How to say it
koh-URSS/kəʊˈəːs/
2 syllables, stressed on the second (URSS). Forms: coerced.
Coerce in a sentence
The staff felt coerced into working the bank holiday, whatever the email said about volunteers.
You can't coerce a toddler into liking broccoli, but you can hide it in the sauce.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- force
- compel
- pressure
- bully
Opposite:
- persuade
- coax
Where coerce comes from
From Latin coercere, to restrain, from co-, together, and arcere, to shut in.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
You can't _____ a toddler into liking broccoli, but you can hide it in the sauce.
- remonstrate
- coerce
- inveigle
Show the answer
coerce: You can't coerce a toddler into liking broccoli, but you can hide it in the sauce.