INDEX:
1. to move
2. moving
3. able to move
4. to keep moving your body or part of your body
5. to move from side to side
6. to move something from one place or position to another
7. to move a company or its people to another place
8. to move to a new home
9. to move something or someone that is difficult to move
10. when it is difficult to move something
11. not moving
12. what you say to tell someone not to move
RELATED WORDS
to move up or move something up : ↑ UP
see also
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1. to move
▷ move /muːv/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to go to a different place or to change the position of your body :
▪ Every time I move I get a pain in my left shoulder.
▪ Don’t move, there’s a spider on your back.
move away/forward/towards etc
▪ Sarah moved away from the window.
▪ My mother moved forward and grabbed my wrist.
move around
to different parts of an area
▪ I can hear someone moving around downstairs!
▷ movement /ˈmuːvmənt/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when someone or something moves :
▪ Any movement will set off the alarm.
▪ He watched her graceful movements as she came towards him.
▪ The doctor thinks she’ll recover quite a lot of movement, though maybe not all.
movement of
▪ the movement of the human heart
movement towards/across/through etc
▪ Make gentle sweeping movements across the hedge so that the blade can cut on both sides.
sudden movement
▪ I crept to the door, and with a sudden movement, opened it wide.
▷ stir /stɜːʳ/ [intransitive verb] especially written
to make a slight movement, for example just before you wake up or start to speak :
▪ The sleeping child stirred and opened her eyes.
▪ The crowd began to stir as the band walked on stage.
▷ make a move /ˌmeɪk ə ˈmuːv/ [verb phrase]
to make a movement, especially as you start to do something or try to do something :
▪ ‘The dog won’t touch you,’ she said , ‘unless you make a move towards me.’
▪ He made a move to kiss me, but I turned away.
▷ move over /ˌmuːv ˈəʊvəʳ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to move to a different position in a bed, on a chair etc :
▪ Move over a bit, I’m falling out of bed.
▪ Penelope moved over and took the driver’s seat.
▷ shift /ʃɪft/ [intransitive/transitive verb] British informal
to move from one place or position to another, or to make something do this :
▪ Jonas stood and listened, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
▪ The sun had shifted to the west.
▪ She shifted her gaze from me to Bobby with a look of suspicion.
▪ The building’s foundation has shifted, which is why there are cracks in the plaster.
shift your legs/arm/foot etc
▪ Tell Alan to shift his feet so Maggie can sit down.
▪ The leather armchair creaked as Roberts shifted his bulk.
2. moving
▷ moving /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
not staying still, but changing position or going from one place to another :
moving car/truck/vehicle etc
▪ The authorities believe the body was thrown from a moving vehicle.
moving part
▪ All the moving parts of the engine must be kept well-oiled.
▷ be in motion /biː ɪn ˈməʊʃ ə n/ [verb phrase] especially written
if something, especially a vehicle or machine, is in motion, it is moving from one place or position to another :
▪ Do not distract the driver while the vehicle is in motion.
3. able to move
▷ mobile /ˈməʊbaɪlǁ-b ə l, -biːl/ [adjective not before noun] especially British
someone who is mobile can move and walk around normally :
▪ He won’t be mobile for some time. It’s a bad knee sprain.
▪ Ethel needed help on the stairs, but was otherwise mobile.
▷ mobile /ˈməʊbaɪlǁ-b ə l, -biːl/ [adjective only before noun]
mobile library/shop/clinic etc
a library, shop etc that is in a vehicle and which moves around from place to place :
▪ Remote areas are served by a number of weekly mobile clinics.
▪ Neuman revealed that she nearly quit showbusiness to run a mobile massage parlour.
▪ The community currently receives service from a rural mobile library.
▷ mobility /məʊˈbɪlɪti, məʊˈbɪləti/ [uncountable noun] especially written
someone’s ability to move - use this especially about people who are very old, injured etc :
▪ You’ll experience some loss of mobility for a few weeks after the operation.
▪ The weakening of bone tissue has a considerable effect on an elderly person’s mobility.
4. to keep moving your body or part of your body
▷ fidget /ˈfɪdʒɪt, ˈfɪdʒət/ [intransitive verb]
to keep moving or playing with your fingers, hands, feet etc, because you are bored or nervous :
▪ Stop fidgeting, Sally, and pay attention.
fidget in your seat/chair
▪ She glared at the little boy, who had started fidgeting in his chair.
fidget with
▪ Diana fidgeted nervously with her pencil.
▷ can’t keep still /ˌkɑːnt kiːp ˈstɪlǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] spoken
if you can’t keep still, you keep moving your body because you are excited or nervous and you cannot relax :
▪ I was so excited that I couldn’t keep still.
▪ Frankie has a lot of energy; he can hardly keep still for more than a few minutes.
▷ squirm /skwɜːʳm/ [intransitive verb]
to make very small movements from side to side with your body, especially because you are in pain or uncomfortable :
▪ The cat was squirming and he put it down.
▪ Diane squirmed wildly as Gavin tickled her.
squirm in your seat/chair
▪ The little boy squirmed in his seat, anxious to get up and leave the table.
squirm with embarrassment/discomfort etc
▪ Laura’s face reddened and she squirmed with embarrassment.
▷ wriggle /ˈrɪg ə l/ [intransitive verb]
to make small movements from side to side, especially in order to get into a particular position or to get through an opening :
wriggle into/out/through etc
▪ The dog wriggled under the fence and escaped into the street.
wriggle free
▪ Shelly tried to wriggle free from him, but he held her firmly.
▷ writhe /raɪð/ [intransitive verb]
to twist your body from side to side violently, especially because you are suffering pain :
▪ As he received each blow, he writhed on the floor and cried out.
writhe in pain/agony
▪ Sarah was writhing in agony, clutching her leg.
▷ twitch /twɪtʃ/ [intransitive verb]
if part of your body twitches, it makes small movements that you cannot control :
▪ A muscle on Yang’s face twitched.
▪ My right eyelid wouldn’t stop twitching.
twitch [countable noun]
▪ It’s just a nervous twitch.
▪ There was a twitch in my left cheek which I couldn’t control.
5. to move from side to side
▷ sway /sweɪ/ [intransitive verb]
to move slowly from one side to the other, especially in an irregular or uncontrolled way :
▪ A light wind was making the branches sway.
▪ Donny swayed drunkenly as he walked back to his car.
sway from side to side
▪ The ski lifts were swaying alarmingly from side to side.
▷ rock /rɒkǁrɑːk/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to move repeatedly from one side to another, with small gentle movements, or to make something do this :
▪ Waves from a passing freighter rocked their boat.
rock back and forth
▪ The chair squeaked as I rocked back and forth.
▪ Uncle Maury laughed until he was rocking back and forth.
rock from side to side
▪ Glenda sat beside the cradle, gently rocking it from side to side.
▷ swing /swɪŋ/ [intransitive verb]
to move from side to side with long, usually regular movements :
▪ We began the workout by swinging our arms.
▪ The only sound was the creak of a sign swinging in the wind.
swing shut/open
▪ Doors swung open and then shut as hospital porters pushed a patient down the corridor.
swing from side to side
▪ The wooden bridge swung from side to side in a terrifying fashion.
6. to move something from one place or position to another
▷ move /muːv/ [transitive verb]
to take something to a different place or change the position of something :
▪ Will you move your car, please? It’s blocking the road.
▪ It took three men to move the piano.
move something to/into something
▪ We’ll have to move the table into the hall.
▷ transfer /trænsˈfɜːʳ/ [transitive verb]
to move something and put it in a different place or container :
▪ Transfer the mixture to a heavy cooking pan and add all remaining ingredients.
transfer something (from something) to something
▪ Could I transfer $500 from my savings to my checking account?
▷ shift /ʃɪft/ [transitive verb] British informal
to move something from where it is :
▪ When are you going to shift all this rubbish? It’s making the place look a real mess.
▪ Come on Des, give me a hand to shift these and then we can go home.
▷ swing /swɪŋ/ [transitive verb]
to move something quickly through the air with a long circular movement :
▪ She swung the ax, hitting the log squarely in the middle.
swing something back/over/across etc
▪ As you swing the golf club back, try to keep your eye on the ball.
swing [countable noun]
▪ With a heavy swing of the mallet, he drove the post into the ground.
▷ jerk /dʒɜːʳk/ [transitive verb]
to move something with a short, very sudden movement :
jerk something away/towards/up etc
▪ Mark jerked the phone away from the girl.
▪ Graham had to jerk the steering wheel to the left to avoid a crash.
jerk [countable noun]
▪ The train moved off with a jerk.
7. to move a company or its people to another place
▷ move /muːv/ [transitive verb]
move somebody (from something) to something
▪ The Education Department is considering moving 500 full-time staff to Runcorn.
move something (from something) to something
▪ The company says it will move its distribution center to Chicago early next year.
▷ transfer /trænsˈfɜːʳ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to move someone from one place to another, especially to another job, department, or office within the same organization :
transfer to
▪ Davidson transferred to another department last October.
transfer somebody (from something) to something
▪ One option would be to transfer Struthers from London to New York.
▪ Harding has been transferred to Albany prison, where he will complete his sentence.
transfer /ˈtrænsfɜːʳ/ [countable noun]
▪ She’s put in for a transfer asked to be transferred to the Los Angeles office.
▷ relocate /ˌriːləʊˈkeɪtǁriːˈləʊkeɪt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to permanently move part or all of a company to another place, especially when this brings financial advantages :
▪ If rents continue to rise, many local businesses may decide to relocate.
relocate to/in
▪ The federal government is offering attractive tax breaks to corporations that relocate in areas of high unemployment.
relocate something to/in something
▪ We’re relocating our educational software division to North Carolina.
relocation /ˌriːləʊˈkeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Salary and other benefits are excellent and include a company car and help with relocation.
relocation expenses
▪ Does the company pay relocation expenses?
▷ shunt /ʃʌnt/ [transitive verb] informal
to move someone from one job to another, especially a less important one :
shunt somebody from/to/into something
▪ I’m sick of being shunted from one department to another.
▪ The company’s solution to dealing with incompetent staff seems to be to shunt them into clerical jobs.
8. to move to a new home
▷ move /muːv/ [intransitive verb]
to go to live in a new place :
▪ ‘Do they still live on Reighton Road?’ ‘No, they’ve moved.’
move house
go to live in a new house British
▪ The Chandlers are planning to move house in the next year or so.
▪ Moving house can be extremely stressful.
move to/from
▪ Did you know that Karen’s moving to the US in August?
▪ They moved from Burlington to Stowe about three months ago.
move into
▪ She moved into the new house as soon as the papers were signed.
9. to move something or someone that is difficult to move
▷ move /muːv/ [transitive verb]
▪ I tried to open the door, but I couldn’t move it an inch.
▪ The sculpture is heavy and very difficult to move.
▷ shift /ʃɪft/ [transitive verb] British informal
to move something, especially something large or heavy, from a position in which it is stuck :
▪ The sofa is stuck in the doorway and I can’t shift it.
▪ There’s no point trying to shift the car by ourselves -- we’ll have to get a truck to pull us out.
▷ free /friː/ [transitive verb]
to move something or someone from a position in which they are stuck or being held, especially with a sudden forceful movement :
▪ We’re going to need some rope to help free the girl.
free somebody/something from something
▪ Kirk battled for eight hours to free himself from the wreckage.
▪ Susan managed to free her right hand from her attacker with a violent twisting movement.
struggle to free yourself
▪ The horse’s eyes were filled with terror as it struggled to free itself from the deep, sucking mud.
▷ release /rɪˈliːs/ [transitive verb]
to move something such as part of a machine from a position in which it is stuck or tightly fastened :
▪ The bolts can only be released with a wrench.
▪ Try to release the clamp gently.
10. when it is difficult to move something
▷ can’t move /ˌkɑːnt ˈmuːvǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
if you can’t move, you are unable to move, for example because you are injured :
▪ Elsie was so frightened that she couldn’t move.
can’t move something
▪ I can’t move my leg - I think it’s broken.
▷ stuck /stʌk/ [adjective not before noun]
someone or something that is stuck is fixed or trapped in a particular position or place and cannot move or be moved :
▪ I can’t open the window - it’s stuck.
stuck in/at/between etc
▪ The elevator was stuck between two floors.
get stuck
become stuck
▪ They tried to drive through the snow, but the car got stuck.
stuck in traffic
▪ Sorry I’m late. I got stuck in traffic.
▷ jammed /dʒæmd/ [adjective not before noun]
something that is jammed cannot be moved because it is trapped between two surfaces or trapped between parts of a machine :
▪ The drawer’s jammed - I can’t get it open.
jammed in/under/between etc
▪ The paper has got jammed in the printer again.
▷ stiff /stɪf/ [adjective not usually before noun]
if your fingers, back, neck, legs etc are stiff, it is difficult and usually painful for you to move them :
▪ I woke up with a stiff neck this morning.
▪ After a twelve hour plane ride, my back was stiff and sore.
feel stiff
▪ I felt really stiff after playing basketball last week.
▷ paralysed British /paralyzed American /ˈpærəlaɪzd/ [adjective not before noun]
when it is difficult or impossible to move your body :
completely/partially paralyzed
▪ A car crash in 1997 left him completely paralysed.
paralysed with
▪ Deborah stood at the side of the stage, paralyzed with fear.
▷ stranded /ˈstrændɪd, ˈstrændəd/ [adjective]
unable to move or be moved from a place :
▪ After the flood, hundreds of stranded vehicles lined the roads.
stranded on/in/at etc
▪ Whales occasionally swim too close to shore and become stranded in the shallow water.
leave somebody stranded
▪ My car broke down, and I was left stranded by the side of the road.
▷ entangled also caught up British /ɪnˈtæŋg ə ld, ˌkɔːt ˈʌp/ [adjective not before noun]
if two or more things are entangled or caught up, they are completely twisted together so that they cannot move or separate :
entangled in
▪ His hands were entangled in the ropes.
▪ My glasses were caught up in my hair and I couldn’t take them off.
become/get entangled/caught up (in)
▪ A child swimming in the river had become entangled in the weeds and been drowned.
▪ Our umbrellas got caught up as we tried to squeeze past each other.
▷ won’t budge/can’t budge something /ˌwəʊnt ˈbʌdʒ, ˌkɑːnt ˈbʌdʒ something ǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase]
if something won’t budge, or you can’t budge it, you cannot move it even though you try very hard :
▪ Could you give me a hand with this box? It won’t budge.
▪ The dresser was so heavy that I couldn’t even budge it.
not budge (something) an inch
▪ I tried to raise the window, but it wouldn’t budge an inch.
11. not moving
▷ still /stɪl/ [adjective not before noun]
not moving - use this especially about people who are not moving, or about places where there is no wind :
▪ There was no wind and the trees were completely still.
still water
▪ Anna looked out across the still waters of the lake.
keep/stand/sit still
▪ Keep still while I tie your shoes.
▪ Percy was so thrilled he could hardly sit still.
▷ stationary /ˈsteɪʃən ə riǁ-neri/ [adjective]
stationary car/vehicle/truck/traffic
a car, vehicle etc that is not moving :
▪ The truck swerved and hit a stationary vehicle.
▪ a four-mile queue of stationary traffic
▷ be at a standstill /biː ət ə ˈstændˌstɪl/ [verb phrase]
if traffic is at a standstill it is not moving. If rail or bus services are at a standstill they have stopped operating :
▪ Traffic was at a standstill on the motorway.
bring something to a standstill
make it stop moving or operating
▪ A severe storm brought rail services to a standstill yesterday.
▷ calm /kɑːmǁkɑːm, kɑːlm/ [adjective]
not moving because there is no wind :
dead calm
completely calm
▪ The sea was dead calm.
calm night/evening etc
▪ The night was calm and warm.
▪ It was a calm, clear, beautiful day.
▷ motionless /ˈməʊʃ ə nləs/ [adjective]
completely still - used especially in literature :
▪ Four motionless figures stood on the pier.
stand/sit/remain motionless
▪ I could see my father standing motionless in the doorway.
▪ Kemp sat motionless as the verdict was read.
▷ immobile /ɪˈməʊbaɪlǁ-b ə l/ [adjective]
not moving or not able to move, especially because of fear or tiredness :
▪ Brigg was immobile, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
immobile with
▪ I stood there, immobile with terror.
▷ be glued/rooted to /biː ˈgluːd, ˈruːtə̇d tuː/ [verb phrase]
to be unable to move from the place where you are standing or sitting because you are very frightened, surprised, or interested by something that is happening :
be glued to the TV/your chair etc
▪ Dad was glued to the TV all day long.
▪ We were glued to our chairs and listening intently to every word.
be glued/rooted to the spot
▪ I was rooted to the spot, unable to take my eyes off the strange creature.
▷ not move a muscle /nɒt ˌmuːv ə ˈmʌs ə l/ [verb phrase]
to be completely still, especially because you are frightened or because you do not want someone to see you :
▪ She hid behind the door, not moving a muscle.
▪ I didn’t dare move a muscle. He would have shot me.
12. what you say to tell someone not to move
▷ don’t move /ˌdəʊnt ˈmuːv/ [verb phrase]
▪ Don’t move or they’ll see us.
▪ Don’t move. I’ll be back in five minutes.
▷ keep/stay still /ˌkiːp, ˌsteɪ ˈstɪl/ [verb phrase]
used to tell someone not to change position or not to move any part of their body :
▪ If you can’t keep still, how can I cut your hair?
▪ Can you keep still for a minute, Kim?
▪ Be quiet and stay still.
▷ freeze /friːz/ [intransitive verb]
used especially by police officers to tell someone to stop moving and stand completely still :
▪ ‘Freeze! Drop your weapons!’ shouted the policeman.
▷ stay (right) where you are /steɪ (ˌraɪt) weəʳ jʊ ˈɑːʳ/ [verb phrase]
used to tell someone not to go anywhere :
▪ Stay where you are! Don’t come any closer.
▪ I’m going to look for a telephone. You stay right where you are until I come back.