jostle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to bump, push, shove, brush against, or elbow roughly or rudely.
-
to drive or force by, or as if by, pushing or shoving.
The crowd jostled him into the subway.
-
to exist in close contact or proximity with.
The three families jostle each other in the small house.
-
to contend with.
rival gangs continually jostling each other.
-
to unsettle; disturb.
The thought jostled her complacency.
-
Slang. to pick the pocket of.
verb (used without object)
-
to bump or brush against someone or something, as in passing or in a crowd; push or shove (often followed by with, for, oragainst ).
He jostled for position.
-
to exist in close contact or proximity with someone or something.
-
to compete; contend.
-
Slang. to pick pockets.
noun
verb
-
to bump or push (someone) roughly
-
to come or bring into contact
-
to force (one's way) by pushing
noun
-
the act of jostling
-
a rough bump or push
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
jostlesimple
-
jostlessimple
-
have jostledperfect
-
has jostledperfect
-
am jostlingprogressive
-
are jostlingprogressive
-
is jostlingprogressive
-
have been jostlingperfect progressive
-
has been jostlingperfect progressive
Past
-
jostledsimple
-
had jostledperfect
-
was jostlingprogressive
-
were jostlingprogressive
-
had been jostlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of jostle
First recorded in 1350–1400; variant (in Middle English, variant spelling) of justle, equivalent to just(en) “to joust” + -le; see origin at joust
Explanation
The verb jostle describes being bumped and pushed in a horde of people — or doing the bumping, like those at a concert who jostle their way to the front, and the people jostled out of their spots when the newcomers arrive. Jostle describes both what someone does, like an impatient person who jostles other people out of his way on a crowded bus or subway car, and what happens to those victims: They may have their bags and cups of hot coffee jostled out of their hands by the impatient one's pushing and shoving. When you say the word jostle remember to shove the t out of the way because it's silent: "JOSS-ul."
Vocabulary lists containing jostle
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 8
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Yet the fortunes of the entire AI supply chain increasingly rest on contracts that have become larger and longer-dated as companies jostle for AI-related business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
This ascent cannot be extricated from a geopolitical context that has seen Europe battling for relevance while other major powers jostle for supremacy in many areas, notably AI.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025
Ronan, better known as a painter in New York’s contemporary art world, chronicles a collection of still lives who jostle themselves out of an emotional stupor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2025
The leaderboard pulsed in the jostle for the minor places.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2025
Some prisoners who didn’t have the strength to jostle, or even to stand, sat down in the snow.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
Oil trade is likely to be choppy Friday, as the increased flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz jostles with concerns around the terms of peace, Brooks adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Fatima jostles to get free food and clothing provided by the private Dubai-based charity Waqf al-Farah, which organised the convoy.
From BBC ● May 15, 2025
When the doorbell rings, Oliver wipes his face and jostles with Jameson to answer.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2023
And as the industry jostles for more fans overseas, some fans say the labels are no longer focusing on what made K-pop so successful.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2023
Padma walks to Valerie's chair and jostles her shoulder.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
At the Great Hall of the People, journalists from both sides jostled each other to get a place before the meeting as US and Chinese officials tried to keep order.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
That moved Aberg four clear but he was unable to build on that momentum as his rivals jostled for position behind him.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
As the Popemobile made its way from the port to the waterfront, people jostled against metal barricades to get a better vantage point for smartphone videos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan jostled for President Donald Trump’s attention on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last month.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025
The sound jostled me to my senses—sort of.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
She realized she could flip the script: The same forensic analysis skills she had once used as a short seller could be used to send stocks higher by jostling for changes from within.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Companies are jostling to take stakes in the robotics sector.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Eyeballs are inevitably trained on the men's football World Cup, particularly with England still in the competition, while the women's T20 cricket World Cup and British Grand Prix are also jostling for the limelight.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Instead, the wows come from good stagings of ordinary action: a car crash, a gripped crucifix, a hideout crowded with jostling, thrumming musical instruments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Johnathan Richter’s mother hadn’t let him go for fear he’d get separated from the group in all the jostling that goes on in New York.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
