shift
shift — verb
1. to move an object or part of your body from one place or angle to another, usual
to move an object or part of your body from one place or angle to another, usually by a short distance — for example, shifting a sofa a few centimetres, or shifting your weight from one foot to the other.
Ari shifted the sofa a few centimetres left so it would fit against the wall.
shift + object + prepositional phrase
The driver shifted his weight from foot to foot while waiting for the bus.
shift + possessive + body-part noun
As the storm moved closer, the wind began to shift direction.
Xiu carefully shifted the pile of books onto the lower shelf.
The patient shifted uncomfortably in the hospital bed, trying to find a better position.
intransitive: shift + adverb for manner
- shift position
- shift weight
- shift slightly
- shift left
- shift direction
- move
more general; can describe any distance
- adjust
emphasises fine-tuning position
- reposition
more formal; changing to a better position
Grammar Patterns
shift + object + adverb/preposition
shift + adverb/preposition
Usage Note
Frequently used with adverbs of direction (left, right, forward, back) or degree (slightly, a little). Unlike move, shift suggests a small or incremental change rather than a large relocation.
Common Mistakes
2. of opinions, attention, attitudes, or policies to change from one thing to anoth
of opinions, attention, attitudes, or policies to change from one thing to another — for example, shifting public opinion, shifting focus to a new topic, or shifting strategy from one approach to another.
Public opinion shifted dramatically after the new evidence was made public.
intransitive: subject (abstract) + shift + adverb
Yael shifted her attention from the computer screen to the door when someone knocked.
transitive: shift + possessive + abstract object
The company shifted its strategy toward online sales after the lockdown.
shift + object + toward + noun
As the conversation deepened, the focus shifted from work problems to personal hopes.
The government has shifted its position on climate change several times this year.
- shift opinion
- shift focus
- shift attention
- shift attitude
- shift policy
- shift dramatically
Grammar Patterns
shift + from + noun + to + noun
shift + object + from + noun + to + noun
shift toward + noun
Usage Note
Subject is usually abstract: opinion, focus, attention, attitude, policy, strategy. Often followed by from … to … or toward.
Common Mistakes
3. to change the gear position in a car, truck, or other vehicle so that the engine
to change the gear position in a car, truck, or other vehicle so that the engine runs at a different speed.
Kabir shifted into third gear as the road flattened out ahead of them.
shift + into + gear number
The driving instructor told Yuki to shift down before reaching the sharp bend.
shift + up/down for gear change direction
Rodrigo shifted gears smoothly and the old truck climbed the hill without trouble.
On steep mountain roads, drivers need to shift to a lower gear to stay safe.
- shift gears
- shift into gear
- shift up
- shift down
- shift smoothly
- change gear
more common in British English
- change gears
more common in American English
Grammar Patterns
shift + into + gear
shift + up/down
shift + gear
Usage Note
Commonly paired with up (to go faster) or down (to go slower). In automatic cars, the verb shift is less common; drivers say the car changes gear by itself.
4. to leave one house or apartment and settle into another one somewhere else.
to leave one house or apartment and settle into another one somewhere else.
The Watanabe family shifted to a larger flat after their third child was born.
shift + to + new location
Imani shifted from Taipei to Kaohsiung when she accepted a new job there.
We shifted house twice last year, and the children had to change schools each time.
shift house (fixed expression)
The Ito family shifted to the countryside after Mr. Ito retired from his city job.
- shift house
- shift to
- shift from
- stay
to remain in the same home
Grammar Patterns
shift + to/from + place
Usage Note
Chiefly British English. In American English, move is almost always used instead. The expression shift house (without the article) is a fixed collocation in British and Australian English.
Common Mistakes
5. to dispose of unwanted possessions or surplus items by selling them, particularl
to dispose of unwanted possessions or surplus items by selling them, particularly when they are hard to find a buyer for.
The owner shifted the old farming equipment at the market for a very low price.
shift + object + for + price
Anna decided to shift some of her winter clothes through an online second-hand shop.
The warehouse needs to shift its remaining stock before the new shipment arrives.
shift + stock / goods (commercial context)
The second-hand shop shifted most of its furniture within the first week of the sale.
- shift stock
- shift goods
- shift equipment
- shift products
- sell off
implies selling at a reduced price
- offload
emphasises removing a burden
- dispose of
more formal; getting rid of something
Grammar Patterns
shift + object (goods, stock, products)
Usage Note
Object is typically something the seller wants to be free of: unwanted stock, old merchandise, surplus goods. Not used for ordinary shopping transactions.
Common Mistakes
shift up
phrasal verbto change to a higher gear in a vehicle so that it can go faster.
As the motorway opened up ahead, Élise shifted up and the car picked up speed quickly.
The instructor reminded the student to shift up once the engine reached three thousand revs.
shift down
phrasal verbto change to a lower gear in a vehicle, usually when slowing down or climbing a hill.
Quinn shifted down before the sharp turn so that the car would not skid on the gravel.
You should shift down early when driving up a steep hill to keep the engine running smoothly.
to make someone else responsible for a mistake or problem that you caused.
Instead of apologising, the manager tried to shift the blame onto the new assistant.
Politicians often shift the blame to the previous government when things go wrong.
shift the goalposts
idiomto change the rules or requirements of something while it is happening, making it harder for someone to succeed.
Just when the team thought they had met all the targets, the boss shifted the goalposts again.
In negotiations, it is unfair to shift the goalposts after the other side has already agreed.
shift into high gear
idiomto start working with a lot more energy and effort; to begin operating at a higher level of activity.
The campaign shifted into high gear two weeks before the election day.
Once the funding was approved, the research team shifted into high gear.
shift — noun
1. one of the scheduled blocks of time into which a working day is divided, with on
one of the scheduled blocks of time into which a working day is divided, with one team taking over from another when the block ends; also, the team of workers assigned to that block.
Eve works the hospital night shift, from eleven at night until seven.
work the + [time] + shift
The morning shift finishes at three, and then the afternoon crew takes over.
the + [time] + shift (referring to the group of workers)
Rania's manager asked if she could cover an extra shift this weekend.
cover a shift (fill in for someone)
Factory workers at the plant often rotate shifts so nobody is stuck with nights forever.
The day shift reported fewer accidents than the night shift this month.
- night shift
- day shift
- morning shift
- work a shift
- do a shift
- cover a shift
- rotate shifts
- split shift
- stint
emphasises a fixed period of work at any job
- roster
refers to the schedule or list of workers
- tour of duty
military context; a period of service
Grammar Patterns
the + time + shift
work/do + a/the + shift
cover + a shift
Usage Note
Can refer either to the time period (a twelve-hour shift) or to the group of people (The night shift is arriving). With a collective noun, both singular and plural verb forms are possible: The shift is/are meeting at noon.
Common Mistakes
2. a change in the position, direction, focus, attitude, or policy of something.
a change in the position, direction, focus, attitude, or policy of something.
There has been a noticeable shift in public attitudes toward renewable energy since the blackouts.
shift + in + abstract noun
A sudden shift in the wind forced the sailors to change course immediately.
A major shift in policy now lets employees work from home twice a week.
adjective + shift + in + noun
The teacher welcomed the positive shift in Quinn's attitude after the summer break.
- shift in attitude
- shift in policy
- shift in direction
- dramatic shift
- gradual shift
- fundamental shift
- paradigm shift
- change
broader; any kind of difference over time
- transition
suggests a process of moving from one state to another
- turn
a change of direction, often more sudden
- stability
the state of staying the same
- continuity
lack of interruption or change
Grammar Patterns
shift + in + noun
shift + from + noun + to + noun
dramatic/sudden/major + shift
Usage Note
Typically followed by in + noun (shift in policy, shift in attitude, shift in emphasis) or from … to … (a shift from cars to trains). Often modified by adjectives like dramatic, gradual, fundamental, subtle.
Common Mistakes
3. a woman's or girl's dress cut in a straight, loose shape that falls from the sho
a woman's or girl's dress cut in a straight, loose shape that falls from the shoulders to the hem, with no tight waistline or belt.
Anna wore a soft cotton shift in pale blue to the company summer picnic.
fabric + shift + colour description
The shop sells linen shifts that are perfect for hot and humid weather.
Yuki bought a simple black shift for the office Christmas party.
The bride wore a plain white shift dress for the beach wedding ceremony.
shift dress (full name for the garment style)
- cotton shift
- linen shift
- simple shift
- black shift
- shift dress
the full name for this style
- sheath dress
similar but more fitted through the body
Usage Note
Also called a shift dress. It differs from a fitted dress by having no defined waistline — the fabric hangs straight down from the shoulders to the hem.
4. a keyboard key used to produce capital letters or the second symbol printed on a
a keyboard key used to produce capital letters or the second symbol printed on a key, for instance the symbol printed above a number.
Hold down the Shift key while pressing letter A to type a capital A.
hold down + Shift key + while + action
To type the at symbol, press Shift and the number two at the same time.
The Shift key on my laptop is smaller than the one on my desktop keyboard.
A stuck Shift key may cause you to type everything in capital letters.
problem scenario with Shift key
- Shift key
- hold down Shift
- press Shift
- release Shift
Grammar Patterns
the Shift key
hold down/press + Shift
Usage Note
Capitalised when referring to the specific labelled key (the Shift key). When referring to the action, shift can be lowercased: press shift and the letter a. Often simply called Shift.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- shifternounB2
- shiftlessadjectiveC1
- shiftingadjectiveB2
- upshiftverbC1
- downshiftverbC1
- shiftyadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
All four words describe a movement from one state or position to another, but they differ in scope and connotation. A shift is usually a relatively small or gradual adjustment — a shift in public opinion happens bit by bit. A change is the broadest term and can refer to anything from a minor difference to a complete replacement. A transition emphasises the process of moving from one stage to another over a period of time, such as the transition from school to work. A turn suggests a more sudden, often directional movement — a turn in the weather or a turn of events. For example: 'There was a gradual shift in the company's strategy' (slow, step-by-step adjustment) vs. 'The company made a sudden turn toward eco-friendly products' (quick and decisive).
Common collocations
Nouns
- position
- direction
- focus
- attention
- gear
- weight
- attitude
- policy
- opinion
Adverbs
- slightly
- gradually
- suddenly
- dramatically
- subtly
- significantly
Phrases
- shift of emphasis
- shift in focus
- shift from A to B
Prepositions
- from
- to
- into
- toward
- onto
- in
Etymology
Shift comes from Old English sciftan, meaning to arrange, divide, or separate. It is related to Old Norse skipta (to divide, change) and Old High German sciftan. In Middle English the word developed the sense of 'change position', and by the 1500s it was being used for changing clothes or changing direction. The noun meaning 'a group of workers taking turns' arose during the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s, when factory owners divided the workday into rotating shifts.