Shave — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈshāv/

Meaning & Definition of Shave

Shave (verb)

  1. to remove a thin layer from
  2. to cut off in thin layers or shreds, slice
  3. to cut off closely

Shave (noun)

  1. shaver
  2. a thin slice, shaving
  3. an act or the process of shaving

Shave (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument

    "he always shaves most of his hair off when the weather starts getting warmer"

    similar: bob, clip, crop, cut, cut back, dock, lop (off), nip, pare, poll, prune, shear, snip, trim
    related: skive, whittle, manicure, mow, pinch, stump, curtail, shorten
    near: elongate, extend, lengthen

  2. to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing

    "just shaved the concrete post as the car turned the corner"

    similar: brush, graze, kiss, nudge, skim
    related: bump, contact, scrape, sideswipe, strike, sweep, swipe, touch, bounce, carom, glance, rebound, ricochet, skip, caress, cuddle, fondle, love, pat, pet, stroke, miss, skirt
    near: bang, bash, bump, clash, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, punch, ram, slam, slap, smack, smash, swipe, thud, thwack, whack

Shave (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in shaving, clipping

    similar: clipping, paring, shaving, snippet, shred, tatter, leaf, sheet, slice, flinders, shiver, smithereens, bit, disk, fragment, part, particle, portion, scrap, section, shard, chip, flake, sliver, spall, splint, splinter
    opposite: chunk, hunk, lump, slab

Related Entry: Close shave (noun)

Close shave is a different word from Shave. The synonyms below are for close shave, not for shave.

  1. a barely successful escape from something undesirable

    "the passengers in the jeep had a close shave when a mine exploded just a few yards away"

    similar: close call, near miss, hairbreadth escape, narrow escape, near escape
    related: squeaker
    near: misfire

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shave

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shave:

bob, clip, crop, cut, cut back, dock, lop (off), nip, pare, poll, prune, shear, snip, trim, brush, graze, kiss, nudge, skim, clipping, paring, shaving, snippet, shred, tatter, leaf, sheet, slice, flinders, shiver, smithereens, bit, disk, fragment, part, particle, portion, scrap, section, shard

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Shave

Words with the opposite meaning of Shave:

chunk, hunk, lump, slab

Related Words for Shave

skive, whittle, manicure, mow, pinch, stump, curtail, shorten, bump, contact, scrape, sideswipe, strike, sweep, swipe, touch, bounce, carom, glance, rebound, ricochet, skip, caress, cuddle, fondle, love, pat, pet, stroke, miss

Near Antonyms of Shave

elongate, extend, lengthen, bang, bash, bump, clash, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, punch, ram, slam, slap, smack, smash, swipe, thud, thwack, whack

Word Forms of Shave

Inflections: shaved, shaven, shaving

Origin & Etymology of Shave

Middle English, from Old English scafan; akin to Lithuanian skobti to pluck, Latin scabere to scratch, and perhaps to Greek koptein to cut capon

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Words & Phrases Containing Shave

close shave

Frequently Asked Questions about Shave

What does "Shave" mean?

"Shave" means to remove a thin layer from. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to remove a thin layer from. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shave"?

Other words for "Shave" include bob, clip, crop, cut, cut back, dock, lop (off) and nip. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Shave" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Shave"?

There are 77 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shave". Common alternatives include bob, clip, crop, cut, cut back, dock, lop (off), nip, pare and poll.

What is the opposite of "Shave"?

Antonyms of "Shave" include chunk, hunk, lump and slab. Near antonyms include elongate, extend, lengthen and bang.

How do you use "Shave" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shave" in a sentence: "he always shaves most of his hair off when the weather starts getting warmer"; "just shaved the concrete post as the car turned the corner".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Shave"?

"Shave" is pronounced /ˈshāv/.

What is the origin of the word "Shave"?

"Shave" comes from Middle English, from Old English scafan; akin to Lithuanian skobti to pluck, Latin scabere to scratch, and perhaps to Greek koptein to cut capon. First known use: before 12th centuryt.