Move — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈmüv/

Meaning & Definition of Move

Move (verb)

  1. to go or pass to another place or in a certain direction with a continuous motion
  2. to proceed toward a certain state or condition
  3. to become transferred during play

Move (noun)

  1. the action of moving from a motionless position
  2. a step taken especially to gain an objective, maneuver
  3. one of a pattern of dance steps

Move (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to change the place or position of

    "I need you to move all your books off that chair before company gets here"

    similar: budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, relocate, remove, reposition, shift, transfer, transpose
    related: bear, carry, cart, convey, drive, haul, lug, tote, transmit, transplant, transport, replace, supersede, supplant, alter, make over, modify, redo, refashion, remake, remodel, revamp, revise, rework, vary
    near: anchor, fix, freeze, moor, secure, set, stabilize, embed, entrench, implant, ingrain, lodge, root

  2. to set or keep in motion

    "the hands of the wall clock are moved by battery"

    similar: actuate, drive, impel, propel, work
    related: activate, motivate, provoke, abet, ferment, foment, incite, raise, stir (up), whip (up), set off, trigger, trip, arouse, excite, fire (up), galvanize, inflame, inspire, instigate, rouse, stimulate
    near: bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain

  3. to change one's position

    "don't move while I'm trying to draw your portrait"

    similar: budge, locomote, shift, stir
    related: fiddle, fidget, jiggle, squiggle, squirm, toss, twitch, wiggle, wriggle, writhe, rouse
    opposite: freeze, still
    near: hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, stabilize

  4. to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response

    "we were deeply moved by the program of patriotic music"

    similar: affect, impact, impress, influence, reach, strike, sway, tell (on), touch, get to
    related: carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall, ravish, transport, bias, color, inspire, stir, engage, interest, involve, penetrate, pierce, afflict, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, fluster, harass, harry, perturb, pester, plague, smite, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, wring, allure, attract, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate
    near: bore, jade, pall, tire, weary, underwhelm

  5. to rouse to strong feeling or action

    "the heartfelt appeal moved the people to reach into their pockets and donate generously"

    similar: arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), impassion, incite, instigate, pique, provoke, rev (up), spark, stimulate, stir, build a fire under
    related: fan, ignite, inflame, kindle, trigger, activate, animate, drive, energize, galvanize, induce, inspire, key (up), motivate, motive, pump up, quicken, set off, vitalize, abet, ferment, foment, raise, whip (up), anger, enrage, madden, upset, jeer, taunt, tease, aggravate, annoy, bother, exasperate, gall, get, irritate, vex
    near: calm, soothe, subdue, tranquilize, appease, mollify, pacify, placate

  6. to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest requests

    "the report moved me to change my mind about the issue"

    similar: argue, bring, bring around, convert, convince, gain, get, induce, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)
    related: blandish, blarney, cajole, coax, entreat, exhort, fast-talk, urge, wheedle, allure, beguile, lead on, lure, seduce, snow, tempt, brainwash, overpersuade, incline, influence, prompt, sell, sway, attract, draw, entice, interest, chew over, converse, debate, discuss, dispute, hash (over), moot, reason (with)
    near: deter, discourage, dissuade, unsell

  7. to cause to function

    "this one button moves the whole machine"

    similar: activate, actuate, crank (up), drive, run, set off, spark, start, touch off, trigger, turn on
    related: kick over, turn over, charge, electrify, energize, fire, fuel, generate, power, push, discharge, launch, release, switch, trip, reactivate, recharge, arouse, excite, jump-start, kick-start, stimulate, vitalize, ignite, incite, instigate, provoke, quicken, stir up, accelerate, catalyze, speed (up), step up
    opposite: cut, cut out, deactivate, kill, shut off, turn off
    near: arrest, brake, check, cut off, draw up, halt, jam, stall, stick, stop, decelerate, repress, slow, stunt, suppress

  8. to leave a place often for another

    "the police officer told the loiterers to move along"

    similar: bail, bail out, begone, book (slang), bug off, bug out, bugger off (British slang), buzz (off), clear off (chiefly British), clear out, cut out, depart, dig out, exit, get, get off, go, go off, pack (up or off), part, peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, run along, sally (forth), scarper (British), shove (off), step (along), take off, vamoose, walk out, beat it, hit the road, pull stakes, take a hike, take a powder
    related: set out, start, strike out, abscond, decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, mizzle (chiefly British), run away, scat, scram, skip, go out, light out, step out, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate, emigrate, adjourn, remove, retire, retreat, withdraw
    opposite: arrive, come, show up, turn up
    near: abide, dwell, lodge, remain, settle, stay, tarry, approach, close, near, hit, land, reach

Move (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result

    "retiring early was a smart move"

    similar: expedient, means, measure, shift, step
    related: act, action, deed, doing, feat, thing, course, procedure, proceeding, process, accomplishment, achievement, attainment, coup, exploit, success, triumph, activity, affair, business, dealing, enterprise, event, attempt, crack, endeavor, essay, fling, go, initiative, operation, pass, shot, stab, trial, try, undertaking, whack, effort, exertion, labor, pains, trouble, while, work, project, proposal, proposition, makeshift, resort, resource, stopgap, countermeasure, countermove, counterstep

  2. the act or an instance of changing position

    "don't make a move"

    similar: motion, movement, shift, shifting, stir, stirring
    related: dislocation, migration, relocation, locomotion, mobility, motility, motivity, fiddling, fidgeting, squirm, squirming, twitching, wriggling, writhing, flailing, flapping, waving
    opposite: motionlessness
    near: immobility, inertia, inertness, stillness, cessation, discontinuance, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, pause, shutdown, shutoff, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination

Related Entry: Move (to) (verb)

Move (to) is a different word from Move. The synonyms below are for move (to), not for move.

  1. as in relocate (to)

    similar: relocate (to), inhabit, colonize, people, populate, settle
    opposite: depopulate, unpeople

Related Entry: Get a move on (phrase)

Get a move on is a different word from Move. The synonyms below are for get a move on, not for move.

  1. to proceed or move quickly

    "She told her partner to get a move on or they would be late."

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Related Entry: On the move (phrase)

On the move is a different word from Move. The synonyms below are for on the move, not for move.

  1. traveling from place to place

    "The baby is always on the move now that she can crawl."

    similar: ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive, gallivanting, itinerant, nomad, nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, vagabond, vagrant, wandering, wayfaring
    related: drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling, sauntering, strolling, traipsing, walking, migrant, migratory
    near: immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary, motionless, still

Related Entry: Got a move on (phrase)

Got a move on is a different word from Move. The synonyms below are for got a move on, not for move.

  1. to proceed or move quickly

    "She told her partner to get a move on or they would be late."

    similar: barreled, belted, blasted, blazed, blew, bolted, bombed (slang), bowled, breezed, bundled, bustled, buzzed, cannonballed, careened, careered, chased, coursed, cracked (on), dashed, drove, flew, hared, hastened, hied, highballed, hotfooted (it), humped, hurled, hurried, hurtled, hustled, jetted, jumped, motored, nipped, pelted, raced, rammed, ran, ripped, rocketed, rushed, rustled, scooted, scurried, scuttled, shot, sped, stepped, tore, traveled, trotted, whirled, whisked, zipped, zoomed, beat it, made tracks, shook a leg, stepped on it
    related: beetled, darted, flitted, scampered, scudded, scuffled, stampeded, streaked, whizzed, galloped, jogged, sprinted, accelerated, quickened, stepped out, caught up, fast-forwarded, outpaced, outran, outstripped, overtook, arrowed, beelined
    opposite: crawled, crept, poked
    near: dallied, dawdled, dillydallied, dragged, hung (around or out), lagged, lingered, loitered, poked, tarried, ambled, lumbered, plodded, sauntered, shuffled, strolled, decelerated, slowed (down or up)

Related Entry: Gets a move on (phrase)

Gets a move on is a different word from Move. The synonyms below are for gets a move on, not for move.

  1. to proceed or move quickly

    "She told her partner to get a move on or they would be late."

    similar: barrels, belts, blasts, blazes, blows, bolts, bombs (slang), bowls, breezes, bundles, bustles, buzzes, cannonballs, careens, careers, chases, courses, cracks (on), dashes, drives, flies, hares, hastens, hies, highballs, hotfoots (it), humps, hurls, hurries, hurtles, hustles, jets, jumps, motors, nips, pelts, races, rams, rips, rockets, runs, rushes, rustles, scoots, scurries, scuttles, shoots, speeds, steps, tears, travels, trots, whirls, whisks, zips, zooms, beats it, makes tracks, shakes a leg, steps on it
    related: beetles, darts, flits, scampers, scuds, scuffles, stampedes, streaks, whizzes, gallops, jogs, sprints, accelerates, quickens, steps out, catches up, fast-forwards, outpaces, outruns, outstrips, overtakes, arrows, beelines
    opposite: crawls, creeps, pokes
    near: dallies, dawdles, dillydallies, drags, hangs (around or out), lags, lingers, loiters, pokes, tarries, ambles, lumbers, plods, saunters, shuffles, strolls, decelerates, slows (down or up)

Related Entry: Getting a move on (phrase)

Getting a move on is a different word from Move. The synonyms below are for getting a move on, not for move.

  1. to proceed or move quickly

    "She told her partner to get a move on or they would be late."

    similar: barreling, belting, blasting, blazing, blowing, bolting, bombing (slang), bowling, breezing, bundling, bustling, buzzing, cannonballing, careening, careering, chasing, coursing, cracking (on), dashing, driving, flying, haring, hastening, highballing, hotfooting (it), humping, hurling, hurrying, hurtling, hustling, hying, jetting, jumping, motoring, nipping, pelting, racing, ramming, ripping, rocketing, running, rushing, rustling, scooting, scurrying, scuttling, shooting, speeding, stepping, tearing, traveling, trotting, whirling, whisking, zipping, zooming, beating it, making tracks, shaking a leg, stepping on it
    related: beetling, darting, flitting, scampering, scudding, scuffling, stampeding, streaking, whizzing, galloping, jogging, sprinting, accelerating, quickening, stepping out, catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning, outstripping, overtaking, arrowing, beelining
    opposite: crawling, creeping, poking
    near: dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, hanging (around or out), lagging, lingering, loitering, poking, tarrying, ambling, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Move

The most common words with a similar meaning to Move:

Slang: book
British slang: bugger off
Chiefly British: clear off
British: scarper
budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, relocate, remove, reposition, shift, transfer, transpose, actuate, drive, impel, propel, work, locomote, stir, affect, impact, impress, influence, reach, strike, sway, tell (on), touch, arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), impassion, incite, instigate, pique, provoke, rev (up), spark, stimulate, argue, bring

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Move

Words with the opposite meaning of Move:

freeze, still, cut, cut out, deactivate, kill, shut off, turn off, arrive, come, show up, turn up, motionlessness

Related Words for Move

bear, carry, cart, convey, haul, lug, tote, transmit, transplant, transport, replace, supersede, supplant, alter, make over, modify, redo, refashion, remake, remodel, revamp, revise, rework, vary, motivate, abet, ferment, foment, raise, stir (up)

Near Antonyms of Move

anchor, fix, moor, secure, set, stabilize, embed, entrench, implant, ingrain, lodge, root, bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain, hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, bore, jade, pall

Word Forms of Move

Inflections: moved, moving

Origin & Etymology of Move

Middle English, from Anglo-French mover, moveir, from Latin movēre; probably akin to Sanskrit mīvati he moves, pushes

First known use: 13th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Move

Words & Phrases Containing Move

move ahead, move house, move in, move in on, move it, move on, move out, move a muscle

Frequently Asked Questions about Move

What does "Move" mean?

"Move" means to go or pass to another place or in a certain direction with a continuous motion. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to go or pass to another place or in a certain direction with a continuous motion. It has 10 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Move"?

Other words for "Move" include budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, relocate, remove, reposition and shift. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Move" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Move"?

There are 362 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Move". Common alternatives include budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, relocate, remove, reposition, shift, transfer and transpose.

What is the opposite of "Move"?

Antonyms of "Move" include freeze, still, cut, cut out, deactivate, kill, shut off and turn off. Near antonyms include anchor, fix, moor and secure.

How do you use "Move" in a sentence?

Examples of "Move" in a sentence: "I need you to move all your books off that chair before company gets here"; "the hands of the wall clock are moved by battery"; "don't move while I'm trying to draw your portrait".

Is "Move" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Move" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Move" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Move" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Move"?

"Move" is pronounced /ˈmüv/.