verb

zwingen

force

Jemanden dazu bringen, etwas zu tun, obwohl er es nicht möchte.

Definition & meaning

zwingen means to force, compel, or pressure someone to do something against their will or without giving them a genuine choice.

jemanden zu etwas zwingen — to force someone to do something
Sie zwangen ihn zur Arbeit. — They forced him to work.
jemanden dazu zwingen, etwas zu tun — to compel someone to do something
Die Umstände zwangen sie dazu, ihre Pläne zu ändern. — The circumstances forced her to change her plans.
It can also mean to force something to happen or fit, especially in a figurative or technical sense:
Die Situation zwang ihn zum Handeln. — The situation compelled him to act.

The noun der Zwang means force, compulsion, or coercion. It can also refer to an inner compulsion, as in der Zwang to repeat a particular action.

Grammar & Word origin

zwingen is an irregular, strong verb:

Infinitive: zwingen
Present tense, third-person singular: er zwingt [?](vocabuo://word zwingt)
Simple past: er zwang
Past participle: gezwungen
Auxiliary verb: haben
Common construction: jemanden zu etwas zwingen

It is not a modern compound. The verb comes from an old Germanic root meaning to press, constrain, or force. It is related to der Zwang , “coercion” or “constraint.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

nötigen — to compel or oblige; often somewhat formal and very close in meaning to zwingen .
zwingen can suggest stronger pressure or a clearer lack of free choice.
drängen — to urge or pressure; usually weaker than zwingen [?](vocabuo://word/zwingen] and does not necessarily remove someone’s freedom to refuse.
veranlassen — to cause or induce someone to do something; more neutral and often does not imply coercion.
erzwingen — to force something to happen or obtain something through pressure or effort; it emphasizes achieving a particular result.

Antonyms

freiwillig handeln — to act voluntarily, without being forced.
erlauben — to allow; this contrasts with forcing someone.
überlassen — to leave the decision to someone else, giving them freedom of choice.
bitten — to ask or request; unlike zwingen , it leaves the other person free to refuse.

Common phrases & collocations

jemanden zu etwas zwingen — to force someone to do something
jemanden dazu zwingen, etwas zu tun — to compel someone to do something
sich zu etwas zwingen — to make oneself do something unwillingly
die Tür mit Gewalt zwingen — to force a door open
jemanden in die Knie zwingen — literally “to force someone onto their knees”; figuratively, to defeat or overpower someone
die Umstände zwingen jemanden zum Handeln — circumstances force someone to act