shove

¹ American  

[shuhv] / ʃʌv /

verb (used with object)

shoved, shoving

1. to move along by force from behind; push.

   Could you help me shove this table back to where it was?

2. to push roughly or rudely; jostle.

   Hey, quit shoving us—you can wait your turn like everyone else.

3. Slang: Often Vulgar. to go to hell with.

   Voters are telling Congress to shove its new tax plan.

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verb (used without object)

shoved, shoving

1. to push.

   OK, all hands on the back of this crate, and on the count of three, shove!

2. 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

1. an act or instance of shoving.

   I gave it a couple of good shoves, but it barely budged.

verb phrase

1. shove off

   1. to push a boat from the shore.

      It’s been fun on the beach, but we’d better shove off before the tide goes out any more and grounds our propeller.

   2. Informal. to go away; depart.

      I think I'll be shoving off now.

idioms

1. shove it, (used to express contempt or belligerence): Also stick it

   I told them to take the job and shove it.

2. when / if push comes to shove. push.

3. 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

shove ² American  

[shohv] / ʃoʊv /

noun

1. boon.

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shove British  

/ ʃʌv /

verb

1. to give a thrust or push to (a person or thing)

2. (tr) to give a violent push to; jostle

3. (intr) to push one's way roughly

4. informal (tr) to put (something) somewhere, esp hurriedly or carelessly

   shove it in the bin

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noun

1. the act or an instance of shoving

shove More Idioms  

1. see push comes to shove; push (shove) off; ram (shove) down someone's throat; stick (shove) it.

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Other Word Forms

• shover noun
• unshoved adjective

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

Jamming her shoulder against it, she gives it a shove, then a stronger one, but nothing happens.

From Literature

I frown at him and shove my finger against my lips.

From Literature

And in the end, they shoved their way to the front of the stage — and back to the Final Four.

From Los Angeles Times

“I guess this is another place for somebody to shove an ad in your face,” said the 47-year-old Yoder, recalling the first time he noticed one.

From The Wall Street Journal

It stood where I had shoved it in my panic: directly in front of the secret panel.

From Literature

Related Words

• cram
• dig
• elbow
• hustle
• jab
• nudge
• poke
• thrust