press (someone or something) into service

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press (someone or something) into service

To force, coerce, or pressure someone or something into fulfilling a particular function or purpose. My uncle is an ordained minister, so maybe we can press him into service for our wedding. Our van broke down just ahead of our big road trip, so our tiny sedan had to be pressed into service.

press someone or something into service

to force someone or something to serve or function. I don't think you can press him into service just yet. He isn't trained. I think that in an emergency, we could press this machine into service.

press into service

Force someone or something to perform or function, as in Can I press you into service to help people find their coats? or The funeral drew such a large crowd that more chairs were pressed into service. This idiom transfers press in the sense of "seize and force someone to serve," as seamen once were, to other activities. It was first recorded in 1871.

ˌpress somebody/something into ˈservice

use somebody/something for a purpose that they were not trained or intended for because there is nobody or nothing else available: Every type of boat was pressed into service to rescue passengers from the sinking ferry.This expression originally referred to forcing someone to join the army or navy.