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

"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

And because of their size, "you can shove them into your bag really easily", Keilly says.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Just as roadkill summons vultures, so too does human misery summon journalists, who travel across the country to shove cameras and recorders at people enduring things no one should experience.

From Slate • Feb. 11, 2026

She turned to me and frowned, leaning down to shove the shoebox under the bed.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Related Words

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