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Shift Very Common

Shift has 26 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

an event in which something is displaced without rotation

"The heavy wind caused a slight shift in the tree, pushing it sideways across the lawn."

2

a qualitative change

"The company's aggressive marketing campaign caused a sudden shift in consumer preference toward their new product line."

3

the time period during which you are at work

"The night shift starts at midnight and ends six hours later."

4

the act of changing one thing or position for another

"his switch on abortion cost him the election"

5

the act of moving from one place to another

"his constant shifting disrupted the class"

6

(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other

"they built it right over a geological fault"

"he studied the faulting of the earth's crust"

7

a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time

"The night shift arrived just as the morning crew finished their tour, ensuring there was never a moment when the factory floor stood empty."

8

the key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters

"She pressed the shift key twice before typing her password because she forgot to switch back to lowercase afterward."

9

a woman's sleeveless undergarment

"She reached for her shift to change into after finishing work at the bakery."

10

a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist

"She chose to wear a simple shift for the wedding because it was comfortable and elegant."

11

A type of women's undergarment, a slip.

"Before typing a capital letter, she pressed the shift key to activate uppercase mode on her keyboard."

12

A modifier key whose main function is shifting between two or more functions of any of certain other keys (usually by pressing Shift and the other button simultaneously).

In plain English: A shift is a specific period of time when someone works or performs a particular task before moving on to something else.

"I need to finish my shift at the restaurant before I can go home."

Verb
1

make a shift in or exchange of

"First Joe led; then we switched"

2

change place or direction

"Shift one's position"

3

move around

"transfer the packet from his trouser pockets to a pocket in his jacket"

4

move very slightly

"He shifted in his seat"

5

move from one setting or context to another

"shift the emphasis"

"shift one's attention"

6

change in quality

"His tone shifted"

7

move and exchange for another

"shift the date for our class reunion"

8

move sideways or in an unsteady way

"The ship careened out of control"

9

move abruptly

"The ship suddenly lurched to the left"

10

use a shift key on a keyboard

"She could not shift so all her letters are written in lower case"

11

change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change

"Grimm showed how the consonants shifted"

12

change gears

"you have to shift when you go down a steep hill"

13

lay aside, abandon, or leave for another

"switch to a different brand of beer"

"She switched psychiatrists"

"The car changed lanes"

14

To move from one place to another; to redistribute.

"The team decided to shift their resources from the failing project to the new initiative that showed more promise."

In plain English: To shift something means to move it from one place to another.

"I need to shift the heavy box to clear the doorway."

Usage: Use shift when describing moving people or tasks between different times, roles, or locations rather than physically relocating an object. It often implies a temporary change in position within the same general setting, such as swapping work hours or adjusting responsibilities.

Example Sentences
"I need to finish my shift at the restaurant before I can go home." noun
"I need to shift the heavy box to clear the doorway." verb
"I need to shift my chair closer to the fire." verb
"The traffic began to shift after rush hour ended." verb
"You should shift your focus to more important tasks." verb
See Also
unshifted dissolve late shiftmate shifting stark effect movement slosh
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
translation change hours motion crack gang key undergarment dress move substitute type switch
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
amplitude luxation improvement population shift pyrolysis sea change sublimation tin pest conversion degeneration strengthening weakening go trick watch day shift evening shift night shift split shift switcheroo inclined fault strike-slip fault relay back veer beat down transpose shunt carry shuffle transship bunker carry over remove translocate transfer transition shift break surf leap diphthongize cut

Origin

The noun "shift" comes from Middle English and originally meant a layer or division. The verb form traces back to Old English words for dividing or separating things into shares before evolving in meaning over time.

Rhyming Words
ift gift tift nift sift lift zift rift smift drift grift swift clift skift snift relift thrift shrift uplift engift
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