jostle
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bump, push, shove, brush against, or elbow roughly or rudely.
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to drive or force by, or as if by, pushing or shoving.
The crowd jostled him into the subway.
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to exist in close contact or proximity with.
The three families jostle each other in the small house.
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to contend with.
rival gangs continually jostling each other.
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to unsettle; disturb.
The thought jostled her complacency.
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Slang. to pick the pocket of.
verb (used without object)
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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.
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to exist in close contact or proximity with someone or something.
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to compete; contend.
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Slang. to pick pockets.
noun
verb
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to bump or push (someone) roughly
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to come or bring into contact
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to force (one's way) by pushing
noun
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the act of jostling
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a rough bump or push
Other Word Forms
- jostlement noun
- jostler noun
- unjostled adjective
Etymology
Origin of jostle
First recorded in 1350–1400; variant (in Middle English, variant spelling) of justle, equivalent to just(en) “to joust” + -le; joust
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.
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
The meeting is a fraught and delicate diplomatic process as countries jostle to protect their national interests, while also attempting to address the issue of climate change.
From BBC
The girls did not rise up and jostle themselves into a happy, wriggling line to get their breakfasts, as Penelope remembered.
From Literature
Passersby jostled Penelope this way and that, making it difficult to keep the book open to the correct page.
From Literature
They don’t jostle with airport crowds or idle unnecessarily in traffic.
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.
