shove
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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shoves,
present (3rd person singular)
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shoved,
past participle, past
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shoving
present participle
-
to move along by force from behind; push.
Could you help me shove this table back to where it was?
-
to push roughly or rudely; jostle.
Hey, quit shoving us—you can wait your turn like everyone else.
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Slang: Often Vulgar. to go to hell with.
Voters are telling Congress to shove its new tax plan.
verb (used without object)
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shoves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shoved,
past participle, past
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shoving
present participle
-
to push.
OK, all hands on the back of this crate, and on the count of three, shove!
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Baseball. to pitch with exceptional focus and effectiveness.
This young closer is spoiling us—we assume he’ll walk out to the mound and shove, and that’s exactly what he does.
noun
verb phrase
idioms
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shove it, (used to express contempt or belligerence): Also stick it
I told them to take the job and shove it.
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when / if push comes to shove. push.
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shove it up your / one's ass, go to hell: a term of contempt, abuse, disagreement, or the like. Also stick it up yourone's ass
noun
verb
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to give a thrust or push to (a person or thing)
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(tr) to give a violent push to; jostle
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(intr) to push one's way roughly
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informal (tr) to put (something) somewhere, esp hurriedly or carelessly
shove it in the bin
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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shovesimple
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shovessimple
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have shovedperfect
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has shovedperfect
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am shovingprogressive
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are shovingprogressive
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is shovingprogressive
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have been shovingperfect progressive
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has been shovingperfect progressive
Past
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shovedsimple
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had shovedperfect
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was shovingprogressive
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were shovingprogressive
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had been shovingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shove1
First recorded before 900; (for the verb) Middle English shouven, shuven, Old English scēofan, scūfan; cognate with Dutch schuiven, obsolete German schauben, Old Norse skūfa; akin to Gothic -skiuban; noun derivative of the verb
Origin of shove2
First recorded in 1680–90; apparently variant of shive 2
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:
But not to be outdone by his opposite number, Jordan hit back for the hosts with a fine finish, dotting down in the corner despite Theo Attissogbe's last-ditch attempt to shove him into touch.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
"Users will reject it if you're just trying to shove a puzzle down their throat that has no connection to your core values as a company."
From Barron's ● May 16, 2026
After the shove, the video shows Niemi and his group walk briskly down the stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard that is home to a number of nightclubs and bars.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Heuristics is the fancy term for the human readiness to shove phenomena into categories into which they don’t quite fit, mainly to economize on mental effort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
I shove the letter back in the chest, put the padlock on it and zip the key into my pocket.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
"Paraguay tried to wind up the France players, little shoves and nudges but not enough to get a yellow card," former Scotland winger Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
And another AI video on X depicts the pair running together through a city engulfed in flames before the female executive shoves him aside in a dramatic scene.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
After Chris’ mother shows up to debunk his half-Asian lie, after he shoves her out of the room, after he and his crush stop speaking, Chris asks his mother if she’s ashamed of him.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2024
In the video, a wilderness restoration ranger gently shoves over a cairn, which appears to be several feet high.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2023
This was after the card in the parking lot, after the birthday gift, but her mind jumps and shoves images in front of her.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
The strategists also pointed out that investor rotation into other sectors has lifted growth prospects and valuations of many “old economy” industries, long shoved aside by investors.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
It came shortly after a foul when Bellingham shoved Jerome Opoku and tensions spilled over after the referee had blown for half-time.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
“You reach a point where this stuff is shoved down your throat, and you can only take so much of it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
The man who shoved Kelver and who allegedly initiated the confrontation, known only as “S. Durham,” has not been charged.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026
When the class finally ended, I shoved myself to my feet, my stomach snarling at the possibility of lunch.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
“I’d never played a game like that with as many cheap shots and people shoving you in the back” forward Bradley Barcola said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Competing for the second year, Gareth Way said while kicking remains the main focus, shoving and wrestling your opponent is "at least 50% of it".
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
In New York, the opening of the Swatch store in Times Square was met with "pushing and shoving" in the waiting crowd, John McIntosh, who had been in line since Wednesday, told AFP.
From Barron's ● May 16, 2026
And to think he still operates with such brute force that he was shoving Rocket defenders all over the court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
“Just a fairy?!” the princess said, shoving herself away from the fairy in a panic.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
