the quality of a distinct object or body in having an external surface or outline of specific form or figure.
this quality as found in some individual object or body form.
This lake has a peculiar shape.
something seen in outline, as in silhouette.
A vague shape appeared through the mist.
an imaginary form; phantom.
an assumed appearance; guise.
an angel in the shape of a woman.
a particular or definite organized form or expression.
He could give no shape to his ideas.
proper form; orderly arrangement.
condition or state of repair.
The old house was in bad shape. He was sick last year, but is in good shape now.
the collective conditions forming a way of life or mode of existence.
What will the shape of the future be?
the figure, physique, or body of a person, especially of a woman.
A dancer can keep her shape longer than those of us who have sedentary jobs.
something used to give form, as a mold or a pattern.
Also called section. Building Trades, Metalworking. a flanged metal beam or bar of uniform section, as a channel iron, I-beam, etc.
Nautical. a ball, cone, drum, etc., used as a day signal, singly or in combinations, to designate a vessel at anchor or engaged in some particular operation.
to give definite form, shape, organization, or character to; fashion or form.
to couch or express in words.
to shape a statement.
to adjust; adapt.
He shaped everything to suit his taste.
to direct (one's course, future, etc.).
to file the teeth of (a saw) to uniform width after jointing.
Animal Behavior, Psychology. to teach (a desired behavior) to a human or other animal by successively rewarding the actions that more and more closely approximate that behavior.
Obsolete. to appoint; decree.
the outward form of an object defined by outline
the figure or outline of the body of a person
a phantom
organized or definite form
my plans are taking shape
the form that anything assumes; guise
something used to provide or define form; pattern; mould
condition or state of efficiency
to be in good shape
in bad physical condition
bent, twisted, or deformed
to assume a definite form
to receive or cause to receive shape or form
(tr) to mould into a particular pattern or form; modify
(tr) to plan, devise, or prepare
to shape a plan of action
an obsolete word for appoint
See form.
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English gesceapu (plural); replacing dialectal shap, Middle English; Old English gesceap (singular); cognate with Old Norse skap “state, mood”; (verb) Middle English; Old English sceapen (past participle); replacing Middle English sheppe, shippe, Old English sceppan, scyppan; cognate with German schaffen, Old Norse skepja, Gothic -skapjan “to make”
The form of something gives it its shape. Basic shapes include the square, the circle, and the triangle. You may have a nose the shape of a ski slope. When you admire someone's shape, you're admiring their form, or their body. When you're out of shape or vowing to get back into shape, you're using shape to refer to your physical stamina or overall health. You can shape something by giving it form, as in "shape the dough into a braided twist," or influence someone, as in a teacher who shapes young minds.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Gravity may shape the cosmos, but it is surprisingly weak compared to the other fundamental forces of nature.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
"The future is not yet finished. It is now your turn to shape it," he said.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
“I have a habit of taking jobs and changing them a bit. I’ve been lucky to be able to shape the jobs I’ve had.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
The case illustrates the power of AI technology to damage reputations and shape public opinion long before the facts have emerged.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
“Don’t she have a different shape up above?” he wondered, and she seemed to.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
