shift

UK /ʃɪft/ US /ʃɪft/

noun 6verb 5

Definitions

noun

A movement to do something, a beginning.

An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.

There was a shift in the political atmosphere.

c. 1620-1626, Henry Wotton, letter to Nicholas Pey My going to Oxford was not merely for shift of air.

A share, a portion assigned on division.

A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise.

Just last week she bought a new shift at the market.

No; without a gown, in a shift that was somewhat of the coarsest, and none of the cleanest, bedewed likewise with some odoriferous effluvia, the produce of the day's labour, with a pitchfork in her hand, Molly Seagrim approached.

A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.

verb

To move from one place to another; to redistribute.

We'll have to shift these boxes to the downtown office.

But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.

To change in form or character; switch.

As a result, I shifted my approach to focus on group-generated activities and broadened the chronological time frame.

His voice shifted from song to whisper.

To change position; to move.

She shifted slightly in her seat.

His political stance shifted daily.

To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere.

We are shifting to America next month.

To change (clothes, especially underwear); to change the clothes of.

'Tis very good to wash his hands and face often, to shift his clothes, to have fair linen about him, to be decently and comely attired […].

noun

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).

Collocations

(noun.) change

ADJ

distinct, dramatic, fundamental, major, marked, profound, pronounced, radical, significant, substantial

discernible

slight, subtle

gradual

abrupt, sudden

decisive, irreversible, long-term

climate, cultural, demographic, ideological, policy, population

VERB + SHIFT

be, represent

The new manager's approach was a significant shift in how the company treated employees.

bring about, cause, lead to, produce, result in

mark, see

We can already see a shift in how young people think about climate change.

detect

The teacher detected a shift in the student's attitude after the summer break.

explain

Several economic changes helped explain the company's sudden shift toward online sales.

SHIFT + VERB

occur, take place

A major shift in consumer preferences took place during the pandemic.

PREP

~ between

The conversation kept shifting between serious topics and funny jokes.

~ (away) from

Many companies made a shift away from plastic packaging to protect the environment.

~ in

There has been a noticeable shift in how young people view social media over the last few years.

~ to

The company decided to shift to a remote work model during the pandemic.

~ towards

Many companies have made a shift towards remote work in recent years.

(noun.) division of the working day

ADJ

double, long, split

My mother worked long shifts at the hospital during the pandemic.

day, early, late, night

eight-hour, ten-hour, etc.

afternoon, evening, morning, weekend

VERB + SHIFT

be/come/go on, do, work (in) ~s

My sister works the night shift at the hospital and sleeps during the day.

change (your) ~s

My sister changed her shifts at the hospital so she could pick up the kids after school.

be/go/come off

SHIFT + NOUN

work

supervisor, manager, worker

pattern, system

The factory introduced a new shift system that allowed workers to have weekends off.

PREP

on a/the ~

The doctor on the night shift has to handle many emergencies alone.

(verb.) move

ADV

slightly

The car shifted slightly to the left when we went around the corner.

impatiently, restlessly, uncomfortably, uneasily

He shifted restlessly from one foot to the other while waiting for his test results.

away

PREP

from

The conversation gradually shifted from politics to lighter topics about travel and food.

onto

The conversation shifted onto a more serious topic when they started discussing the accident.

The conversation suddenly shifted to a more serious topic when they mentioned the accident.

PHRASES

shift from foot to foot

(verb.) change

ADV

dramatically, markedly

The weather patterns have shifted dramatically over the last decade.

slightly

effectively

simply

When the project deadline changed, we simply shifted our work schedule to accommodate the new date.

gradually, slowly

rapidly

suddenly

constantly, continually

The company's management strategy has continually shifted over the past five years.

VERB + SHIFT

attempt to, try to

The manager tried to shift responsibility for the project failure to his team members.

tend to

begin to

PREP

(away) from

The focus of the debate has gradually shifted away from the original issue.

onto, to

When the company faced financial problems, the focus shifted onto cutting costs rather than expanding.

towards

The company decided to shift its focus towards more sustainable products.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — the act of changing one thing or position for another

noun — the act of moving from one place to another

shifting

noun — a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders wi

noun — a woman's sleeveless undergarment

noun — a qualitative change

noun — an event in which something is displaced without rotation

displacement

noun — (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the di

verb — make a shift in or exchange of

switch

verb — lay aside, abandon, or leave for another

verb — move abruptly

verb — change place or direction

dislodge
reposition

verb — move sideways or in an unsteady way

verb — move very slightly

verb — move around

transfer

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

shift gears

To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.

seismic shift

A fundamental reorientation of a state of affairs.

The seismic shift in Mexico began in 1810 with the movement toward independence from Spain.

you're only as good as your last shift

A person's perceived skill or competence is determined by their most recent success or failure.

put a shift in

To work hard; to make an effort

shift the dial

To make a significant change or impact in a particular situation or context.

The influential speech by the politician aimed to shift the dial on public opinion regarding climate change.

Example Bank

There was a shift in the political atmosphere.

Wiktionary

c. 1620-1626, Henry Wotton, letter to Nicholas Pey My going to Oxford was not merely for shift of air.

Wiktionary

The generational shift Mr. Obama once embodied is, in fact, well under way, but it will not change Washington as quickly — or as harmoniously — as a lot of voters once hoped.

Wiktionary

We'll have to shift these boxes to the downtown office.

Wiktionary

The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, shift is marked as obsolete, figuratively, historical. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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