shift
[verb]
Synonyms:
- move, budge, displace, move around, rearrange, relocate, reposition
[noun]
Synonyms:
- move, displacement, rearrangement, shifting

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Related Idioms: shift place, fend for oneself, make do, make it alone, make shift, paddle one's own canoe, stand on one's own two feet
Related Words: alter, change, vary, budge, stir, shuffle, relocate, contrive, survive, freelance, progress, succeed, gambit, maneuver, ploy, strategy

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English Thesaurus: change, alter, adapt, adjust, modify, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. shift¹ S3 W3 AC /ʃɪft/ verb
[Language: Old English; Origin: sciftan 'to divide, arrange']

1. MOVE
a) [intransitive and transitive] to move from one place or position to another, or make something do this:
Joe listened, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another.
She shifted her gaze from me to Bobby.
b) [transitive] British English informal to move something, especially by picking it up and carrying it:
Give me a hand to shift these chairs.

2. CHANGE ATTENTION [transitive] to change a situation, discussion etc by giving special attention to one idea or subject instead of to a previous one
shift something away/onto/from etc
The White House hopes to shift the media’s attention away from foreign policy issues.
attention/emphasis/focus shifts
In this stage of a rape case, the focus often shifts onto the victim and her conduct.
shift gear American English (=change what you are doing)
It’s hard to shift gear when you come home after a busy day at work.

3. CHANGE OPINION [intransitive and transitive] if someone’s opinions, beliefs etc shift, they change:
Public opinion was beginning to shift to the right (=become more right-wing).
shifting attitudes towards marriage
He refused to shift his ground (=change his opinion).

4. shift the blame/responsibility (onto somebody) to make someone else responsible for something, especially for something bad that has happened:
It was a clear attempt to shift the responsibility for the crime onto the victim.

5. COSTS/SPENDING [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to change the way that money is paid or spent Synonym : direct:
the need to shift more resources towards reducing poverty

6. DIRT/MARKS [transitive] British English to remove dirt or marks from a surface or piece of clothing:
a new washing powder that will shift any stain

7. IN A CAR [intransitive and transitive] especially American English to change the gears when you are driving Synonym : change British English:
I shifted into second gear.

8. SELL [transitive] British English informal to sell a product, especially a lot of it:
The store shifted over 1,000 copies of the book last week.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. shift² AC noun [countable]

1. a change in the way people think about something, in the way something is done etc
shift from/to
the shift from one type of economic system to another
shift in
an important shift in policy
a marked shift (=noticeable change) in attitudes towards women

2.
a) if workers in a factory, hospital etc work shifts, they work for a particular period of time during the day or night, and are then replaced by others, so that there are always people working
do/work a (10-/12-/24- etc hour) shift
Dave had to work a 12-hour shift yesterday.
I work shifts.
night/day etc shift
The thought of working night shifts put her off becoming a nurse.
early/late shift
I’m on the early shift tomorrow.
shift work/worker/working
people who do shift work
A shift system has been introduced.
b) the workers who work during one of these periods
night/day/early/late shift
before the early shift goes off duty

3. a shift key:
To run the spell-checker, press SHIFT and F7.

4. (also shift dress) a simple straight loose-fitting woman’s dress

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

shift
noun
I. 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 These proposals represent a dramatic shift in policy.
bring about, cause, lead to, produce, result in | mark, see The moment marked a significant shift in attitudes to the war.
detect I detected a subtle shift towards our point of view.
explain one factor which may explain the president's policy shift
SHIFT + VERB occur, take place These climate shifts occurred over less than a decade.
PREP. ~ between the many shifts between verse and prose that occur in Shakespeare
~ (away) from the shift away from direct taxation
~ in a shift in public opinion
~ to a sudden shift to the right in British politics
~ towards a shift towards part-time farming

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shift
II. division of the working day
ADJ. double, long, split I agreed to work double shifts for a few weeks.
day, early, late, night | eight-hour, ten-hour, etc. | afternoon, evening, morning, weekend
VERB + SHIFT be/come/go on, do, work (in) ~s I'm doing the early shift this week. I didn't realize that I'd have to work shifts. The clinic is staffed by ten doctors who work in shifts.
change (your) ~s It was 8.00 a.m. and the nurses were changing shifts. My husband has changed his shifts, from the afternoon shift to the night one.
be/go/come off
SHIFT + NOUN work | supervisor, manager, worker | pattern, system They'd altered his shift pattern twice in the past fortnight.
PREP. on a/the ~ a decision for the chief nurse on each shift

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shift
verb
I. move
ADV. slightly Julie shifted her position slightly and smiled.
impatiently, restlessly, uncomfortably, uneasily She shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
away
PREP. from She shifted her gaze away from the group of tourists.
onto He shifted his weight onto his left foot.
to Her eyes shifted to his face.
PHRASES shift from foot to foot

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shift
II. change
ADV. dramatically, markedly The emphasis has shifted markedly in recent years.
slightly | effectively | simply We cannot simply shift the responsibility onto someone else.
gradually, slowly | rapidly | suddenly | constantly, continually constantly shifting alliances
VERB + SHIFT attempt to, try to trying to shift the blame onto the government
tend to | begin to
PREP. (away) from I felt the advantage had suddenly shifted away from us.
onto, to His sympathies rapidly shifted to the side of the workers.
towards These changes will shift the balance in higher education more towards science subjects.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shift

a big/major shift
There has recently been a big shift in the way people are accessing information.
a significant/marked shift (=big and noticeable)
There has been a significant shift in government policy on education.
a fundamental shift (=a complete change)
A fundamental shift in attitudes was underway.
a sudden shift
She immediately picked up his sudden shifts of mood.
a dramatic shift (=a big and sudden change)
Increased spending on the armed forces marks a dramatic shift in priorities.
a small/slight shift
There has been only a slight shift in income distribution.
a gradual shift
There has been a gradual shift in people’s attitudes towards cars.
a subtle shift (=a change which is small and not easy to notice)
Recently there has been a subtle shift in public opinion about the environment.
a policy shift
The policy shift was triggered by a sharp increase in violent crime.
a cultural shift
We all know there were cultural shifts in the 1960s that significantly changed our society.
mark/represent a shift
The idea represents a dramatic shift in health care policy.
cause/bring about a shift
The affair has brought about a shift in the government’s attitude towards immigration.
work a shift
They work quite long shifts.
do a shift
I did a 12-hour shift yesterday.
work in shifts
We had to work in shifts – four hours on and four off.
be on shift (=be working a shift)
He hardly sees the kids when he’s on shift.
be on the late/early/night etc shift (=be working a particular shift)
She’s on the late shift.
be on day/night shifts (=be working a series of day or night shifts)
He’s on night shifts all next week.
a night shift
She found it hard to stay awake during her night shifts at the factory.
a day shift
He’s going to be on day shifts for five days.
a morning/afternoon/evening shift
All the machines are cleaned at the end of every afternoon shift.
an early/late shift
Nobody wants to do the late shift.
a 12-hour/16-hour etc shift
We used to work eight-hour shifts.
the graveyard shift informal (=a shift that begins late at night or very early in the morning)
He chose to work the graveyard shift because the pay was slightly better.
a double shift (=when someone works two shifts one after the other)
He is only halfway through a 20-hour double shift.
shift work/working (=working shifts)
Does the job involve shift work?
a shift worker
The meetings are at different times so that shift workers have an opportunity to attend.
a shift system (=a system in which people work shifts)
A shift system was introduced in the department last year.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
economic reform
The Prime Minister has promised to push ahead with economic reform.
political/democratic/constitutional reform
He stressed that democratic reform could not be achieved overnight.
tax reform
The Chancellor's proposals for tax reform met strong resistance in the Commons.
education reform
Teachers say the government's education reforms are causing stress.
a major reform
He called for a major reform of the drug laws.
radical reform (=very big and important changes)
His government adopted a policy of radical reform.
fundamental reform (=changes to the most basic and important parts of something)
He wants fundamental reform of the EU's agricultural policy.
far-reaching/sweeping reforms (=reforms that affect many things or have a great effect)
The new government instituted a series of far-reaching reforms.
make/carry out reforms
They haven't made any real reforms.
introduce reforms
They increased pressure on the government to introduce political reforms.
push through reforms (=make them happen)
He has so far failed to push through much-needed economic reforms.
implement reforms (=carry out planned reforms)
Much will depend on how local managers implement the reforms.
a package/programme of reforms
A package of reforms was approved by the National Assembly on April 12.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
transform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better:
Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great!
Putin transformed the Russian economy.
revolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention:
Computers have revolutionized the way we work.
This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
distort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are:
The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts.
Don’t try to distort the truth.
twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion:
He accused reporters of twisting his words.
In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
misrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say:
I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion.
He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.
big/major
Going to a new school is a big change for children.
slight/small/minor
The proposed changes were relatively minor.
gradual
There has been a gradual change in the weather.
dramatic/drastic/radical (=very big, especially in way that is surprising)
The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change.
significant
The change in blood pressure was not significant.
marked (=very noticeable)
There was a marked change in his behaviour.
fundamental
Reducing waste requires a fundamental change in attitude.
social/political/economic etc change
Demands for political and social change are growing.
sweeping changes (=affecting many things or people, especially because of an official decision)
There are likely to be sweeping changes in the company.
far-reaching changes (=important and having a great effect that will last a long time)
The Internet has brought about far-reaching changes in the way we work.
make a change
We've had to make some changes to the design.
introduce a change
A number of changes were introduced to the curriculum.
bring (about) change (also effect a change formal) (=cause change)
The war brought about radical social change.
Treatment is aimed at effecting a change in the child’s negative behaviour.
see/notice/observe a change
I saw a big change in her when I met her again.
undergo a change (=be affected by a change)
The body undergoes a number of changes during this time.
signal a change (=be a sign of a change)
Does this move signal a change in US foreign policy?
the pace/rate of change
People sometimes feel alarmed by the pace of technological change.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.
transformation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different:
There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father.
her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actress
revolution noun [countable] a complete change in ways of thinking or working:
The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution.
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.
shake-up noun [countable] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective:
The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up.
The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.
U-turn noun [countable] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do:
The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

change noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which someone or something becomes different, or the act of making something different:
There was a sudden change in the weather.
We are living in a period of great change.
He was told to make some slight changes to his essay.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
reform noun [uncountable and countable] a change made to a system or law in order to improve it:
He called for a reform of our outdated voting system.
Many people opposed the economic reforms.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲