shove

¹

[ shuhv ]

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.

3. 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 phrase

1. 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.

shove

²

[ shohv ]

noun

1. boon ³.

shove

/ 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

noun

1. the act or an instance of shoving

Derived Forms

• ˈshover, noun

Other Words From

• shov·er noun
• un·shoved adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shove¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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 yourone's ass.
2. shove it, Slang: Often Vulgar. (used to express contempt or belligerence): Also stick it.

   I told them to take the job and shove it.

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

More idioms and phrases containing shove

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

Example Sentences

She had a man take his fingers and shove them into her body against her will in a department store dressing room, and then turn and walk away as if nothing happened.

From Salon

Maybe this is it — the beginning of the end we’ve all sensed creeping closer, even if we tried to shove it into the shadows.

From Salon

But rather than fix it, the owner sends balls of dough to another firm that shoves them in a working oven and sells the loaves back to the baker.

From BBC

“I think it’s f**king hilarious. Hilarious to watch the swamp struggle with the existential crisis that’s been shoved in their faces by the American people,” Santos said, chalking up the pushback to sour grapes.

From Salon

"Yeah, that's nice . . . you're the wrong gender," Stewart shoots back, before playfully shoving Barrymore off in an awkward moment that the host leans into by dramatically falling back on the couch.

From Salon

Related Words

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