Definition of shift - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
movementtr./intr. move from one place to anothertr./intr.
- She shifted the books to the other shelf.
2.
automobiletr./intr. US change gears in a vehicletr./intr. US
- He shifted into third gear as he accelerated.
3.
changetr. alter an opinion or policytr.
- The company shifted its policy on remote work.
4.
businesstr. UK sell goods that are difficult to selltr. UK
- The store managed to shift all the old stock.
5.
typingtr. TECH. press the keyboard modifier key to make letters uppercasetr. TECH.
- Press shift to type capital letters.
6.
technologytr. TECH. move a binary number's digits left or righttr. TECH.
- The program shifted the bits to the right.
Noun
1.
job scheduleset period of working time
- She works the night shift at the hospital.
2.
movementslight movement or change
- There was a shift in the wind direction.
3.
duty crewgroup of workers working for a specific period
- The morning shift is responsible for opening the store.
4.
policychange in policy or attitude
- A significant shift in public opinion was noted..
5.
clothingtype of women's dress
- She wore a floral shift to the party..
6.
geologyTECH. displacement of rocks at a geological faultTECH.
- The earthquake caused a shift in the fault line.
7.
technologyTECH. control code or character in computingTECH.
- The program uses a shift to change character sets.
8.
biologyTECH. mutation combining DNA or RNA from different sourcesTECH.
- The virus underwent a genetic shift.
Images of shift
type of women's dress
Expressions with shift
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change gears in a vehicle to adjust speed
He had to shift gear to climb the hill.
change the gear in a vehicle
He had to shift gears to climb the hill.
move slightly to one side
Please shift over so I can sit down.
work shift during the late night hours
He started working the graveyard shift at the hospital last month..
change the gear in a vehicle to start moving
She shifted into gear and drove away.
make someone else responsible for a mistake
He tried to shift the blame onto his coworker.
increase in intensity or level
The team needs to shift up their efforts to win the championship.
lever used to change gears in a vehicle
He reached for the stick shift to change gears.
increase effort or speed in an activity
The team needs to shift into higher gear to win.
change opinion contradicting previous beliefs
During the debate, she shifted her ground completely.
make a significant change in a situation
The new policy will shift the dial on climate change.
work hard or make a significant effort
She really put a shift in to finish the project.
begin a more intense or active phase
The campaign shifted into high gear as election day neared.
start working much faster or more effectively
The team shifted into top gear to finish the project.
change the criteria or rules unfairly
Every time we get close to success, they shift the goalposts.
work shift during the night
He always works the cemetery shift at the hospital.
major, sudden change in situation or perspective
The invention of the internet was a seismic shift in global communication..
change one's opinion or position
She tends to shift ground during debates.
change frequently and unpredictably
His opinions shift like sand, making him hard to trust.
make small, pointless changes without fixing the main problem
They just shift the deckchairs on the Titanic instead of solving issues.
work period from morning to afternoon or workers assigned to it
She works the day shift at the hospital.
work period from late afternoon to midnight
She prefers the evening shift at the hospital.
work period during night hours
She prefers the night shift for its quiet.
change position or direction
The wind started to shift around, making it hard to sail.
Origin of shift
Old English, sciftan (arrange)
Terms with shift included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
work
significant shift in one's professional path
negative shift
situation becoming more negative or harmful
transportation
shift from one gear to another in a vehicle
physical movement
shift in the course or path taken
emotional shift
shift in one's feelings or opinions
travel
shift to a different location or environment
refreshing shift
shift in surroundings to refresh one's mind or mood
slow shift
change position gradually without being noticed
work
workers who work during the day shift
work shift
stop working at a job or shift
work shift
start a scheduled period of work or responsibility
shift focus
used to shift focus to a less serious subject
blame shifting
shift blame to someone else for a problem
distraction
shift focus or attention restlessly
change topic
direct or shift one's attention to a new topic
movement
shift one's position to make space for someone else
focus
shift the focus or aim
healthcare
nurse working during the night shift
employment
not working or on a shift
decision shift
quick decision to alter plans or actions
payroll machine
workplace clock that logs staff shift times for wage calculation
appearance
visible shift from one color to another in an object or image
work
work shift where someone is responsible for tasks during the night
big shift
sudden or significant change
Examples of shift in a sentence
They shifted the meeting to a new location. She learned to shift smoothly during her driving lessons. The driver shifted quickly to avoid stalling. They shifted their stance on environmental issues. The politician shifted his opinion after the debate. The dealer shifted the outdated phones at a discount.
Online ads helped us shift the last few units. To insert symbols, you need to shift and press the number keys. Shift the key to access the upper character on the keyboard. The algorithm shifted the digits left. Engineers shifted the binary code efficiently. He swapped his morning shift for an evening one. The factory runs three shifts daily. A shift in public opinion was noticeable. The shift in temperature was sudden and unexpected. The night shift handles the late deliveries. A new shift starts every eight hours. The company announced a shift in its strategy. There was a shift in the political landscape. She bought a new shift for summer. The boutique sells elegant shifts. Scientists measured the shift after the seismic event. The shift altered the landscape significantly. A shift is required to execute the command. The software update included a new shift function. A shift in the virus's DNA was detected. Scientists are studying the shift in the pathogen's RNA.
View all translations of shift
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:déplacer, service, ...
- German:verlagern, Schicht, ...
- Italian:spostare, turno, ...
- Spanish:mover, turno, ...
- Portuguese:mover, turno, ...
- Chinese:搬, 班次, ...
- Japanese:移す, シフト, ...
- Arabic:نَقَلَ, وَرْدِيَّة, ...
- Hebrew:לְהַעֲבִיר, מִשְׁמֶרֶת, ...
- Russian:перемещать, смена, ...
- Ukrainian:переміщувати, зміна, ...
- Hindi:सरकाना, पारी, ...
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