What does "jostle" mean?
The act of jostling someone or something; push, shove.
Jostle
/ˈd͡ʒɑ.səl/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of jostling someone or something; push, shove.
- Grammar: jostle is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: a shove, agree to disagree, assault, battle.
- Useful contrasts: calm, calmness, cooperation.
- Usage evidence: I'm watching Sami and Tom jostle for recognition as King of Tatoeba.
How to use "jostle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "jostle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "jostle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "jostle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "jostle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "jostle" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a shove" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "jostle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of jostling someone or something; push, shove.
"1722, Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders, London: J. Cooke, 1765, p. 241, I had full hold of her Watch, but giving a great Jostle, as if somebody had thrust me against her, and in the Juncture giving the Watch a fair pull, I found it would not come, so I let it go that Moment, and cried out as if I had been killed, that somebody had trod upon my Foot […]"
- 2 the act of jostling (forcing your way by pushing) wordnet
- 3 The action of a jostling crowd.
"1865, Harriet Beecher Stowe (under the pseudonym Christopher Crowfield), The Chimney-Corner, Boston: Ticknor & Field, 1868, Chapter 12, p. 291, For years to come, the average of lone women will be largely increased; and the demand, always great, for some means by which they many provide for themselves, in the rude jostle of the world, will become more urgent and imperative."
Verb
- 1 To bump into or brush against while in motion; to push aside. ambitransitive
"Besides, various are the paths to power and fame which by accident or choice men pursue, and though they jostle against each other, for men of the same profession are seldom friends, yet there is a much greater number of their fellow-creatures with whom they never clash. But women are very differently situated with respect to each other—for they are all rivals."
- 2 come into rough contact with while moving wordnet
- 3 To move through by pushing and shoving. intransitive
"Axia and Amory, acquaintances of an hour, jostled behind a waiter to a table at a point of vantage; there they took seats and watched."
- 4 make one's way by jostling, pushing, or shoving wordnet
- 5 To be close to or in physical contact with. transitive
"[…] the advantages of diversification of structure, with the accompanying differences of habit and constitution, determine that the inhabitants, which thus jostle each other most closely, shall, as a general rule, belong to what we call different genera and orders."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To contend or vie in order to acquire something. intransitive
"Dick, who, in serious earnest, was supposed to have considerable natural talents for his profession, and whose vain and sanguine disposition never permitted him to doubt for a moment of ultimate success, threw himself headlong into the crowd which jostled and struggled for notice and preferment."
- 7 To pick or attempt to pick pockets. dated, slang
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I'm watching Sami and Tom jostle for recognition as King of Tatoeba."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "jostle"?
Common synonyms include: a shove, agree to disagree, assault, battle, be at cross-purposes, be at variance.
How do you use "jostle" in a sentence?
I'm watching Sami and Tom jostle for recognition as King of Tatoeba.
How do you pronounce "jostle"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɑ.səl/.
Etymology
Originally justle (“to have sex with”), formed from Middle English jousten, from the Old French joster (“to joust”), from Latin iuxtā (“next to”), from iungō (“join, connect”), equivalent to joust + -le.