jostle — to push, elbow, or bump against someone, often in a crowd
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to push, elbow, or bump against someone, often in a crowd
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈdʒɑːsəl/
Example Sentences
- The reporters jostled each other like hungry seagulls fighting over french fries.
- Customers jostled for the last piece of cake at the bakery.
- The penguins jostled for the warmest spot in their huddle, like office workers fighting for the best seat in a meeting.
jostle
VERB[/ˈdʒɑːsəl/]
to push, elbow, or bump against someone, often in a crowd
Commuters jostle each other trying to squeeze onto the packed morning subway.
In the crowded hostel, they jostle past the peaceful apostle!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Jostle derives from the 15th-century Old French 'jouster,' meaning to engage in jousting or combat with lances on horseback. The word's semantic evolution reflects the physical action of knights pushing and shoving each other while mounted, which gradually generalized to mean 'to push or bump against' in everyday contexts.
Breakdown
joust (combat with lances on horseback) + -le (frequentative suffix indicating repeated or habitual action). The suffix -le transforms the noun/verb into an iterative form suggesting persistent jostling or pushing.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The reporters jostled each other like hungry seagulls fighting over french fries.”
“Customers jostled for the last piece of cake at the bakery.”
“The penguins jostled for the warmest spot in their huddle, like office workers fighting for the best seat in a meeting.”
“Several companies are jostling for control of the smartphone market.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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