shoulder
(Slang)
[verb]
Synonyms:
- bear, accept, assume, be responsible for, carry, take on
- push, elbow, jostle, press, shove

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. shoul‧der¹ S2 W2 /ˈʃəʊldə $ ˈʃoʊldər/ noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: sculdor]

1. BODY PART [countable] one of the two parts of the body at each side of the neck where the arm is connected:
She tapped the driver on the shoulder.
He put his arm around her shoulders.
His shoulders were broad and powerful.

2. CLOTHES [countable] the part of a piece of clothing that covers your shoulders:
a jacket with padded shoulders

3. MEAT [uncountable and countable] the upper part of the front leg of an animal that is used for meat
shoulder of
a shoulder of pork

4. be looking over your shoulder to feel worried that something unpleasant is going to happen to you

5.
a) a shoulder to cry on someone who gives you sympathy:
Ben is always there when I need a shoulder to cry on.
b) cry on sb’s shoulder to get sympathy from someone when you tell them your problems

6. shoulder to shoulder
a) having the same aims and wanting to achieve the same thing Synonym : side by side
shoulder to shoulder with
We are working shoulder to shoulder with local residents.
b) physically close together Synonym : side by side:
Blacks and whites stood shoulder to shoulder in the stands to applaud.

7. on sb’s shoulders if blame or a difficult job falls on someone’s shoulders, they have to take responsibility for it:
The blame rests squarely on Jim’s shoulders.

8. put your shoulder to the wheel to start to work with great effort and determination

9. ROAD-SIDE [countable] American English an area of ground beside a road, where drivers can stop their cars if they are having trouble ⇒ hard shoulder, soft shoulder

10. CURVED SHAPE [countable] a rounded part just below the top of something
⇒ give somebody the cold shoulder at cold¹(7), ⇒ have a chip on your shoulder at chip¹(5), ⇒ be/stand head and shoulders above the rest at head¹(29), ⇒ rub shoulders with at rub¹(5), ⇒ straight from the shoulder at straight¹(10)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. shoulder² verb

1. shoulder the responsibility/duty/cost/burden etc to accept a difficult or unpleasant responsibility, duty etc:
The residents are being asked to shoulder the costs of the repairs.

2. [transitive] to lift something onto your shoulder to carry it:
They shouldered the boat and took it down to the river.

3. shoulder your way through/into etc to move through a large crowd of people by pushing with your shoulder:
He ran after her, shouldering his way through the crowd.

4. shoulder arms an order given to soldiers telling them to hold their weapon against their shoulder

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

shoulder
noun
I. part of the body between the neck and the arm
ADJ. dislocated, frozen His frozen shoulder has stopped him playing tennis.
SHOULDER + NOUN injury | blade, bones, joint, muscle, socket The bullet hit him squarely between the shoulder blades.
height, level | width Keep the feet shoulder width apart.
harness, sling, strap | injury
PREP. over your ~ He slung the sack over his shoulder and set off.
PHRASES a pat on the shoulder He gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
shoulder to shoulder The route of the procession was lined with police officers standing shoulder to shoulder.
tap sb on the shoulder I tapped the man on the shoulder and asked him to move.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shoulder
II. shoulders: the part between the two shoulders
ADJ. big, broad, great, huge, manly, massive, muscled, muscular, powerful, strong, wide | delicate, shapely, slim | narrow, thin | square | round | bony | bowed | bare | tense, tight | tired
VERB + SHOULDER shrug When I asked him why he'd done it he just shrugged his shoulders.
hunch He hunched his shoulders against the cold wind.
SHOULDER + VERB be bent, be bowed, be stooped She was crouched with her head forward and her shoulders bent.
droop, drop, sag, slump My shoulders dropped with relief.
lift, shrug Her shoulders lifted in a vague shrug.
heave, shake, twitch His enormous shoulders heaved with sobs.
stiffen, tighten | relax
PREP. on your ~s The child sat on her father's shoulders to watch the parade go by.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shoulder
verb
I. accept the responsibility for sth
VERB + SHOULDER have to, must She had to shoulder the burden of childcare.
be willing/unwilling to He was unwilling to shoulder this responsibility alone.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shoulder
II. push sb/sth with your shoulder
ADV. roughly We were shouldered roughly out of the way.
aside, out of the way
PHRASES shoulder your way past/through sb/sth She shouldered her way through the crowd.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shoulder

shrug your shoulders (=raise them to show that you do not know or care about something)
Susan just shrugged her shoulders and said nothing.
hunch your shoulders (=raise your shoulders and bend them forwards slightly)
He hunched his shoulders against the rain.
look/glance over your shoulder (=look behind you)
He glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me.
sb’s shoulders shake (=because they are crying or laughing)
His shoulders were shaking and tears of laughter were running down his face.
sb’s shoulders slump/droop/sag (=move downwards because they are sad or tired)
‘You 're right,’ he sighed, his shoulders drooping.
sb’s shoulders heave (=move up and down because they are crying or breathing deeply)
She turned her back again, her shoulders heaving, her eyes blind with tears.
straighten/square your shoulders (=stand with your shoulders straight, in a determined way)
She squared her shoulders and knocked on the door.
broad/wide
He was of medium height, with broad shoulders.
strong/powerful
He had powerful shoulders and a thick neck.
massive/huge
Dean shrugged his massive shoulders.
narrow/slim
Her dark hair spilled over her narrow shoulders.
thin/bony shoulders
She put her arm around the girl’s thin shoulders.
shoulder a responsibility
The coach shoulders the responsibility for winning and losing.
shoulder a burden
Many women do paid work and also shoulder the burden of childcare.
shoulder the blame
Parents are being made to shoulder the blame.
shoulder the cost
The government has decided to shoulder the extra cost itself.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

shoulder
ˈʃəuldə
See: chip on one's shoulder , cold shoulder , good head on one's shoulders , head and shoulders , put one's shoulder to the wheel , on one's shoulders , rub elbows or rub shoulders , square one's shoulders , weight of the world on one's shoulders

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲