dislocate

American  

[dis-loh-keyt, dis-loh-keyt] / ˈdɪs loʊˌkeɪt, dɪsˈloʊ keɪt /

verb (used with object)

• dislocates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dislocated,
  past participle,  past
• dislocating
  present participle

1. to put out of place; put out of proper relative position; displace.

   The glacier dislocated great stones. The earthquake dislocated several buildings.

2. to put out of joint or out of position, as a limb or an organ.

3. to throw out of order; upset; disorder.

   Frequent strikes dislocated the economy.

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noun

1. Gymnastics. a maneuver on the rings in which a gymnast in an inverted pike position turns over to swing down while pushing the arms out and turning them so that the palms are facing out when the body turns over.

dislocate British  

/ ˈdɪsləˌkeɪt /

verb

1. to disrupt or shift out of place or position

2. to displace (an organ or part) from its normal position, esp a bone from its joint

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undislocated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• dislocating
  present
• dislocated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dislocate
  simple
• dislocates
  simple
• have dislocated
  perfect
• has dislocated
  perfect
• am dislocating
  progressive
• are dislocating
  progressive
• is dislocating
  progressive
• have been dislocating
  perfect progressive
• has been dislocating
  perfect progressive

Past

• dislocated
  simple
• had dislocated
  perfect
• was dislocating
  progressive
• were dislocating
  progressive
• had been dislocating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dislocate
  simple
• will have dislocated
  perfect
• will be dislocating
  progressive
• will have been dislocating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dislocate

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin dislocātus (past participle of dislocāre ), equivalent to Latin dis- dis- ¹ + locātus placed; see locate

Explanation

To dislocate is to move something out of its correct or regular place, or disrupt it. When a family moves to a new town, it dislocates the kids, and if you throw a bowling ball, you might dislocate your shoulder. A hurricane can dislocate boats, beach homes, and sea creatures, and a football injury can also dislocate your shoulder — moving the bone out of the joint in which it normally sits. It's painful to dislocate a bone, and it can be painful in a different way when circumstances dislocate your life. The Latin root is dislocare, "put out of place," from dis-, "away," and locare, "to place."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dislocate dislocates dislocated dislocating

Moreover, political instability could dislocate the supply chains for minerals on which Carpenter’s operations depend.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

"I tripped over a step in the garden and managed to, somehow, dislocate my ankle; break my tibia and fibula; and rip two ligaments off the bone. What the heck," said Archibald.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2024

It would destroy the economy, dislocate millions of Americans and destabilize the globe.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2023

When players tear a knee ligament or dislocate a shoulder, when they wobble away from a jarring collision, trainers help them to the sideline and play resumes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2023

The jolt might’ve been enough to dislocate her bad shoulder.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

They "come to be recognised only in limited ways, and any political act immediately dislocates them from the US".

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

Cresswell almost dislocates his standing ankle, spinning a dipper over the near side of the wall, just under the bar, and into the vicinity of the top corner!

From The Guardian ● Apr. 3, 2022

The force dislocates the core from the tight leaf structure, and, with a quick twist, it pops right out.

From Salon ● May 28, 2021

Bellinger dislocates his shoulder after a home run.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2020

Haie laughs so much that he dislocates his jaw, and suddenly stands there helpless with his mouth wide open.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Instead, she stands up, pops her dislocated shoulder back into its socket and grimly declares to the shocked classmate filming her, “This is Claire Bennet, and that was attempt No. 6.”

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

The remaining bill of the year was for my 2-year-old’s emergency room visit for a dislocated elbow.

From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2026

Hill suffered torn ligaments and a dislocated kneecap in a game against the New York Jets last year, ending his season.

From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026

With just one competition under her belt this season, she dislocated her shoulder and sustained a torn labrum in what she described as the "silliest fall" in training in Switzerland last month.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

He guessed that he must have dislocated it when he fell and that the violent action of the boat must have popped it back in.

From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen

“We see the shape of hiring changing some of these skills and backgrounds, but at the same time, we don’t see it dislocating the need for having great individuals with deep, critical-thinking skills,” Narayan said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

"I took the silliest fall that ultimately resulted in me dislocating my shoulder," Kim said.

From Barron's ● Jan. 8, 2026

Uncapped wing Cadan Murley is preferred on the left wing to Ollie Sleightholme, with Exeter flier Immanuel Feyi-Waboso out after dislocating his shoulder.

From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2025

Ohtani hasn’t looked right in the two games he’s played since partially dislocating his shoulder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2024

High priests in journalism and culture are fond of fussing that the Internet is dislocating, isolating, dangerous.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz