Shift meaning

What does “shift” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“shift” is a noun and verb with 23 meanings. Its most common meaning is: an event in which something is displaced without rotation.

shift

noun

  1. an event in which something is displaced without rotation

    Synonymsdisplacement
  2. a qualitative change

  3. the time period during which you are at work

  4. the act of changing one thing or position for another

    “his switch on abortion cost him the election”

  5. the act of moving from one place to another

    “his constant shifting disrupted the class”

    Synonymsshifting
  6. (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other

    “they built it right over a geological fault”

    “he studied the faulting of the earth's crust”

  7. a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time

  8. the key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters

    Synonymsshift key
  9. a woman's sleeveless undergarment

  10. a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist

    Synonymschemisesack

verb

  1. make a shift in or exchange of

    “First Joe led; then we switched”

  2. change place or direction

    “Shift one's position”

  3. move around

    “transfer the packet from his trouser pockets to a pocket in his jacket”

    Synonymstransfer
  4. move very slightly

    “He shifted in his seat”

  5. move from one setting or context to another

    “shift the emphasis”

    “shift one's attention”

  6. change in quality

    “His tone shifted”

  7. move and exchange for another

    “shift the date for our class reunion”

  8. move sideways or in an unsteady way

    “The ship careened out of control”

  9. move abruptly

    “The ship suddenly lurched to the left”

    Synonymslurchpitch
  10. use a shift key on a keyboard

    “She could not shift so all her letters are written in lower case”

  11. change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change

    “Grimm showed how the consonants shifted”

  12. change gears

    “you have to shift when you go down a steep hill”

  13. lay aside, abandon, or leave for another

    “switch to a different brand of beer”

    “She switched psychiatrists”

    Synonymsswitchchange

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University