Shift — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈshift/

Meaning & Definition of Shift

Shift (verb)

  1. to exchange for or replace by another, change
  2. to change the place, position, or direction of, move
  3. to make a change in (place)

Shift (noun)

  1. a means or device for effecting an end
  2. a deceitful or underhand scheme, dodge
  3. an effort or expedient exerted or tried in difficult circumstances, extremity

Shift (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to change the place or position of

    "he shifted the vase closer to the wall so that it wouldn't get knocked over"

    similar: budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, move, relocate, remove, reposition, 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 change one's position

    "she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview"

    similar: budge, locomote, move, 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

  3. to pass from one form, state, or level to another

    "she watched the aurora in fascination as its colors shifted from green to blue"

    similar: change, fluctuate, mutate, snap, vary
    related: metamorphose, morph, transmute, better, improve, deteriorate, worsen, turn around, seesaw, teeter, vacillate, waver
    opposite: plateau, stabilize

  4. to give up (something) and take something else in return

    "my brother and I shifted seats just before takeoff so that he could sit by the window"

    similar: change, commute, exchange, substitute, swap, switch, trade
    related: interchange, displace, replace, supersede, cede, hand over, surrender, yield, reciprocate

  5. to meet one's day-to-day needs

    "left the others to shift for themselves"

    similar: cope, do, fare, get along, get by, get on, make out, manage, fend for oneself, make do, make ends meet, make shift
    related: carry on, contrive, scrape (by or through), scrounge, last, survive, eke out, scrape (out), squeeze, wrest, wring, afford, swing
    near: collapse, fail, fall short, fizzle, flounder, decline, peter (out), slump, wane, give up

Shift (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

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

    "desperate shifts to stave off financial disaster"

    similar: expedient, means, measure, move, 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

    "made a small shift to the left to make more room on the bench"

    similar: motion, move, movement, 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: Make shift (phrase)

Make shift is a different word from Shift. The synonyms below are for make shift, not for shift.

  1. to meet one's day-to-day needs

    "They were able to make shift without borrowing money."

    similar: cope, do, fare, get along, get by, get on, make out, manage, shift, fend for oneself, make do, make ends meet
    related: carry on, contrive, scrape (by or through), scrounge, last, survive, eke out, scrape (out), squeeze, wrest, wring, afford, swing
    near: collapse, fail, fall short, fizzle, flounder, decline, peter (out), slump, wane, give up

Related Entry: Made shift (phrase)

Made shift is a different word from Shift. The synonyms below are for made shift, not for shift.

  1. to meet one's day-to-day needs

    "They were able to make shift without borrowing money."

    similar: coped, did, fared, got along, got by, got on, made out, managed, shifted, fended for oneself, made do, made ends meet
    related: carried on, contrived, scraped (by or through), scrounged, lasted, survived, eked out, scraped (out), squeezed, wrested, wrung, afforded, swung
    near: collapsed, failed, fell short, fizzled, floundered, declined, petered (out), slumped, waned, gave up

Related Entry: Makes shift (phrase)

Makes shift is a different word from Shift. The synonyms below are for makes shift, not for shift.

  1. to meet one's day-to-day needs

    "They were able to make shift without borrowing money."

    similar: copes, does, fares, gets along, gets by, gets on, makes out, manages, shifts, fends for oneself, makes do, makes ends meet
    related: carries on, contrives, scrapes (by or through), scrounges, lasts, survives, ekes out, scrapes (out), squeezes, wrests, wrings, affords, swings
    near: collapses, fails, falls short, fizzles, flounders, declines, peters (out), slumps, wanes, gives up

Related Entry: Making shift (phrase)

Making shift is a different word from Shift. The synonyms below are for making shift, not for shift.

  1. to meet one's day-to-day needs

    "They were able to make shift without borrowing money."

    similar: coping, doing, faring, getting along, getting by, getting on, making out, managing, shifting, fending for oneself, making do, making ends meet
    related: carrying on, contriving, scraping (by or through), scrounging, lasting, surviving, eking out, scraping (out), squeezing, wresting, wringing, affording, swinging
    near: collapsing, failing, falling short, fizzling, floundering, declining, petering (out), slumping, waning, giving up

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shift

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shift:

budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, move, relocate, remove, reposition, transfer, transpose, locomote, stir, change, fluctuate, mutate, snap, vary, commute, exchange, substitute, swap, switch, trade, cope, do, fare, get along, get by, get on, make out, manage, fend for oneself, make do, make ends meet, make shift, expedient, means, measure, step, motion

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Shift

Words with the opposite meaning of Shift:

freeze, still, plateau, stabilize, motionlessness

Related Words for Shift

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, fiddle, fidget, jiggle, squiggle, squirm, toss

Near Antonyms of Shift

anchor, fix, moor, secure, set, embed, entrench, implant, ingrain, lodge, root, hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, collapse, fail, fall short, fizzle, flounder, decline, peter (out), slump, wane, give up, immobility, inertia, inertness, stillness

Word Forms of Shift

Inflections: shifted, shifting, shifts

Derived words: shiftable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Shift

Middle English, from Old English sciftan to divide, arrange; akin to Old Norse skipa to arrange, assign

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Shift

Words & Phrases Containing Shift

shift gears, shift key, shift for oneself, shift oneself, shift one's ground, consonant shift, functional shift, graveyard shift

Frequently Asked Questions about Shift

What does "Shift" mean?

"Shift" means to exchange for or replace by another, change. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to exchange for or replace by another, change. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shift"?

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

What are different ways to say "Shift"?

There are 180 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shift". Common alternatives include budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, move, relocate, remove, reposition, transfer and transpose.

What is the opposite of "Shift"?

Antonyms of "Shift" include freeze, still, plateau, stabilize and motionlessness. Near antonyms include anchor, fix, moor and secure.

How do you use "Shift" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shift" in a sentence: "he shifted the vase closer to the wall so that it wouldn't get knocked over"; "she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview"; "she watched the aurora in fascination as its colors shifted from green to blue".

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

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

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

As a B2-level word, "Shift" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Shift"?

"Shift" is pronounced /ˈshift/.