This shaft links with a piston.
Source: tatoeba (61024)
Shaft
/ʃɑːft/
Synonyms for "shaft" (283 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (57)
Strong matches (85)
Related words (141)
megalithmementomemorialmemorial archmemorial columnmemorial statuememorial stonemenhirminaretminemonolithmonumentmoundnarisnecrologynewel-postnostrilobeliskobituaryobservation tower
Show 91 more words
open cutopencastpagodapedestalpedicelpedunclepencilpierpilasterpilepilingpillarpinnaclepitplaqueplinthpolepostpotshotprizeput-downpylonpyramidquarrelquarryqueen-postquillrayreedreliquaryremembranceribbonrodrostral columnscrewscrewingshankshootshrineskyscrapersoclespileholespiraclespirestaffstalkstanchionstandstandardstandpipesteeplestelastemstickstingstonestreakstupasubbasesurbasetablettelevision masttestimonialthrusttombtombstonetonguetopetouchholetourtowertransomtrophytrunktunnelturretuprightventventageventholeventiductventilating shaftventilatorvictimizevolleywater towerwellwind tunnelwindmill towerworkingsyawning abyss
Noun(29 words)
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: beam, dig, ray, abysm, abyss.
- Sentence evidence is available for shaft, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "shaft".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "shaft"
Keep "shaft" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "shaft" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "shaft", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "shaft" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
39 entriesShowing 16 of 39 words.
More specific
15 entriesair shaftarrow shaftbilkdefrauddrill shaftelevator shaftfeather shafthair shaftlaser beammine shaftmineshaftshortchangespear shaftsunbeamvent shaft
Collocations
9 entriesarrow shaftdrill shaftdrive shaftelevator shafthair shaftmineshaftmining shaftprop shaftshaft of light
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesTranslations
74 translations across 34 languages.
Ancient Greek
3 entries- κάμαξ noun (any long, thin object)
- κῆλον noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- στελεά noun (any long, thin object)
Basque
1 entries- haga noun (any long, thin object)
Bulgarian
1 entries- дръжка на копие noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Catalan
1 entries- barra noun (any long, thin object)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 杆 noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Czech
3 entries- dřík noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- hřídel noun (any long, thin object)
- násada noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Dutch
1 entries- schacht noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Esperanto
1 entries- fusto noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Finnish
4 entries- aisa noun (any long, thin object)
- akseli noun (any long, thin object)
- kanki noun (any long, thin object)
- varsi noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
French
1 entries- hampe noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Galician
2 entries- hasta noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- hasta noun (any long, thin object)
German
2 entries- Schaft noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- Stange noun (any long, thin object)
Greek
3 entries- στέλεχος noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- στειλιάρι noun (any long, thin object)
- στύλος noun (any long, thin object)
Hungarian
3 entries- nyél noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- rúd noun (any long, thin object)
- szár noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Irish
1 entries- fearsaid noun (any long, thin object)
Italian
3 entries- asta noun (any long, thin object)
- lancia noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- prolunga noun (any long, thin object)
Khiamniungan Naga
1 entries- lāi noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Macedonian
3 entries- др́шка noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- о́ска noun (any long, thin object)
- ра́чка noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Middle English
2 entries- schaft noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- schaft noun (any long, thin object)
Middle Persian
1 entries- 𐭰𐭥𐭯𐭪 noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Māori
3 entries- kakau noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- kakau noun (any long, thin object)
- kawau noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- skaft noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Old English
1 entries- sċeaft noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Ottoman Turkish
3 entries- اوق noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- ایك noun (any long, thin object)
- كوندر noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Persian
1 entries- چوبه noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Plautdietsch
3 entries- Scheft noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- Scheft noun (any long, thin object)
- Staum noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Portuguese
4 entries- cabo noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- cabo noun (any long, thin object)
- haste noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- haste noun (any long, thin object)
Russian
3 entries- дре́вко noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- ось noun (any long, thin object)
- сте́ржень noun (any long, thin object)
Scottish Gaelic
2 entries- cas noun (any long, thin object)
- crann noun (any long, thin object)
Slovak
2 entries- hriadeľ noun (any long, thin object)
- os noun (any long, thin object)
Spanish
4 entries- asta noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- astil noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- barra noun (any long, thin object)
- caña noun (any long, thin object)
Swedish
2 entries- skaft noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- stång noun (any long, thin object)
Thai
2 entries- ทูบ noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
- เพลา noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Turkish
1 entries- ok sapı noun (long narrow body of spear or arrow)
Sample sentences
33 total sentences available.
His old company gave him the shaft. But I admire the way he turned bad luck into good and did even better with his own business.
Source: tatoeba (294641)
You are in a narrow rocky shaft. There is some light shining from far above. Below you is the cave you started in. What do you do now?
Source: tatoeba (484031)
If the torque is too high, the shaft might break. That's why we are using a shear splint as a torque limiter.
Source: tatoeba (1394725)
Showing 4 of 33 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "shaft"?
Closest matches include beam, dig, ray, abysm, abyss.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "shaft"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.