thrust
THRUST
/θrʌst/
The forward-directed force produced by an engine or propeller that overcomes drag and moves an aircraft forward.
In physics, it is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's Third Law.
The story behind the word. Coming from the Old Norse word 'þrysta', meaning to press or force, the word entered Middle English as 'thresten'. It originally described violent physical pushing before being adopted by physicists to describe the reaction force of expelled gas.
Word relationships
- push: Push is a common, everyday word, while thrust is the technical term for a continuous, powerful driving force.
- drag: Drag is the aerodynamic resistance pulling an object back, directly opposing thrust.
Commonly confused with
- lift: Lift acts perpendicular to the direction of motion (upward), while thrust acts parallel to the direction of motion (forward).
Word family
- thruster (noun): A small rocket engine used to adjust the attitude or orbit of a spacecraft.
Collocations
- generate thrust
- maximum thrust
- thrust-to-weight ratio
Idioms & expressions
- thrust of an argument
Example sentences
- "The massive turbofan engines generate over 100,000 pounds of thrust each, allowing the heavy aircraft to take off on relatively short runways." Jet engine mechanics
- "The main thrust of the company's new strategy is to automate its manufacturing line." Metaphorical drive
Memory hook
THRUST is the force that MUST push the rocket up. Forward force.
When not to use
In technical writing, do not use 'thrust' when you mean 'torque' (rotational force) or 'lift' (upward force).
Fun facts
- The Saturn V rocket, which carried astronauts to the Moon, generated a mind-boggling 7.5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.