These words refer to the generation or application of force to move a thing onwards or away. Propel is the most general word, referring to the act of driving someone or something forward by whatever means: hurried along and propelled through a revolving door. The word is most often used of a mechanical force or a separate source of power: an explosive that propels a projectile from a gun, a fuel that serves to propel a missile or a rocket; a boat propelled by stream or by an outboard motor.

Push generally implies physical contact between the mover and the moved. It specifically indicates force or pressure exerted on or against one side of an object to move it forwards, in the opposite direction or out of the way. The force employed may be slight or considerable: to push a pram; to push a stalled car. Applied to persons, push often implies impatience and consequent rudeness: to push ahead of someone at a counter. The word has many shades of meaning depending on context: to push a reluctant parachutist out of a plane; to push a person off a diving board. Shove is close to push but is generally a stronger word, implying a greater or more abrupt measure of forcible pressure or physical effort: to shove a boat away from shore with a pole. More often than push , shove indicates exertion, as in pushing a heavy object along a surface: to shove a boat into the water. Or, used of persons, it may imply greater belligerence or determination than push , emphasizing rough haste or blunt rudeness in pushing insistently: shoving everyone aside, elbowing and jostling his way to the front. Push and shove are often used together: peak-hour travellers pushing and shoving in bus queues.

To thrust is to push suddenly and forcibly, as on impulse or because of some stimulus.

• The child thrust out his hand, asking for sweets; Shy and embarrassed, the boy thrust the flowers at his girl friend; Othello, in a jealous rage, thrust Desdemona aside.

Unlike the other words, thrust often specifically implies a putting of one thing into another. It may mean to put a person forcibly into some situation: to thrust a prisoner into a cell; to thrust an unwilling child on to the stage. Or it may refer to the act of pushing into something with a sharp or pointed instrument: to thrust a pin into one’s skin; a matador who thrusts a sword into a bull. In an extended sense, it can mean to have anything forced upon one against one’s will: Unwanted publicity was thrust upon him when he won the prize.

Press and urge , in this context, point to an outward influence that propels one towards a goal. Urge may be used of physical force: to urge a horse on with a whip or with spurs. More often, however, urge indicates not force but strong persuasion, the psychological exertion of a prompting or impelling influence: He urged them to accept the plan. Press refers almost entirely to psychological stress. It is stronger than urge in implying greater insistence and urgency, with overtones of demand: pressing them to meet the deadline; He pressed me for an answer; pressing hard for needed reforms. Push is used figuratively in a similar way, meaning to press persistently or to promote or advocate vigorously: to push for a change in the law; to push a new line of goods.