shove

1
[ shuhv ]
See synonyms for shove on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),shoved, shov·ing.
  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.

  1. Slang: Often Vulgar. to go to hell with: Voters are telling Congress to shove its new tax plan.

verb (used without object),shoved, shov·ing.
  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 Phrases
  1. shove off,

    • 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.

    • Informal. to go away; depart: I think I'll be shoving off now.

Idioms about shove

  1. shove it, Slang: Often Vulgar. (used to express contempt or belligerence): I told them to take the job and shove it.: Also stick it .

  2. shove it up your / one's ass, Slang: Vulgar. go to hell: a term of contempt, abuse, disagreement, or the like.: Also stick it up your / one's ass .

  1. when / if push comes to shove. push (def. 37).

Origin of shove

1
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

Other words from shove

  • shov·er, noun
  • un·shoved, adjective

Other definitions for shove (2 of 2)

shove2
[ shohv ]

noun

Origin of shove

2
First recorded in 1680–90; apparently variant of shive2

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for shove

shove

/ (ʃʌv) /


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

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

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

  2. (tr) informal to put (something) somewhere, esp hurriedly or carelessly: shove it in the bin

noun
  1. the act or an instance of shoving

Origin of shove

1
Old English scūfan; related to Old Norse skūfa to push, Gothic afskiuban to push away, Old High German skioban to shove

Derived forms of shove

  • shover, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with shove

shove

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.