force-feed

verb

ˈfȯrs-ˌfēd 

force-fed ˈfȯrs-ˌfed  ; force-feeding

transitive verb

1

: to feed (a person or an animal) by forcible administration of food

2

: to force to take in

force-feed students the classics

—also used with a single object

force-feed the classics to students

force-feed students with the classics

Examples of force-feed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rich whispered as the boat crew force-fed me pita bread. —Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025

Advertisement When the synthetic compound was force-fed to rats at doses of 1 gram per kilogram of body weight for two years, the animals developed kidney cancer and other forms of renal disease. —Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025

Beto’s mother, Cecilia, arrived at his bedside and force-fed him drops of juice while the family waited for an ambulance. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024

Attempts to force-feed Jokic resulted in bad-pass turnovers. —Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2024

These certifications ensure the birds are not live-plucked or force-fed and are treated humanely throughout their lifecycle. —Will Porter, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2024

To Evoke a Specific Emotion Nostalgia has been force-fed to American audiences for far too long, far too often, but when used wisely, memories of the past can be a powerful boost to art made for the present. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024

They were imprisoned and force-fed in British prisons after going on hunger strike and, later in life, became disillusioned with the peace process. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024

To stop is to die, or, worse, to be force-fed a clip of Ricky Gervais saying words. —Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for force-feed

• aniseed
• centipede
• cottonseed
• disagreed
• ganymede
• guaranteed
• intercede
• overspeed
• pedigreed
• refereed
• supercede
• supersede

Kids Definition

force-feed

verb

ˈfō(ə)rs-ˌfēd,

ˈfȯ(ə)rs-

force-fed

-ˌfed

; force-feeding

1

: to feed (an animal or person) by forcefully giving food

2

: to force to take in

force-feed the classics to students