1 B1 informal
To push someone or something roughly in various directions
"He was shoved about by the crowd as he tried to push through to the front."
separable
shove about
B1 informal separable transitive
To push or handle someone or something roughly and without care; to treat a person in a bullying or dismissive way
In plain English
To push someone around roughly, or to treat them badly
What does "shove about" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To treat a person disrespectfully, aggressively, or as if they have no importance
"She got tired of being shoved about by her employer and finally resigned."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shove someone so they move about in different directions — transparent
Actually means
To push someone around roughly, or to treat them badly
Usage tip
Primarily British English. In the physical sense, describes rough handling. In the figurative sense, describes treating someone dismissively or like they have no power. Often used in the passive: 'he got shoved about'.
Words that pair with "shove about"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowd people workers kids staff belongings
How to conjugate "shove about"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shove about
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shoves about
he/she/it
Past simple
shoved about
yesterday
Past participle
shoved about
have + pp
-ing form
shoving about
continuous
Hear "shove about" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shove about" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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