move
/muːv
/verb
1 [no object, usually with adverbial of direction] Go in a specified direction or manner; change position: she moved to the door I heard him moving about upstairs...
- I could hear my brother moving around upstairs and I knew that he was getting ready for work.
- She shoved her into the front row before moving to stand in the doorway of the gazebo.
- She stood, and moved to the door, turning the lock with a echoing metallic sound.
Synonyms
go, walk, proceed, progress, advance, pass;
budge, stir, shift, change position, make a move
rare locomote
1.1 [with object] Change the place, position, or state of: she moved the tray to a side table can you move your car so I can get mine out?...
- Officers said they could not move the car as it was not in a dangerous position, so they handed the matter over to the Borough Council.
- Orchestral sections were moved from one position to another in a search for perfect sound relationships.
- He said these traffic lights were badly positioned and should be moved to a more suitable place.
Synonyms
carry, transport, transfer, transpose, shift, switch
1.2Change one’s place of residence or work: his family moved to London when he was a child [with object]: they moved house four days after the baby was born...
- The family had only moved to the house on Whitworth Road four months ago.
- His family had moved from a smaller house a few miles away right before he entered seventh grade.
- Born in Essex to a colonel's family, she moved frequently during her childhood.
Synonyms
relocate, move house, move away/out, change address/house, leave, go away, decamp;
change jobs;
migrate, emigrate;
Scottish & Northern English flit
informal split
British informal up sticks
North American informal pull up stakes
1.3(Of a player) change the position of a piece in a board game: White has forced his opponent to move [with object]: if Black moves his bishop he loses a pawn...
- Once this is filled up players move their pieces creating larger and larger stacks.
- When all pieces have been placed on the board, the players move the pieces around one intersection at a time.
- Players move from space to space on a board in the shape of Madagascar which is coloured in the white, red and green of the national flag.
1.4 informal Depart; start off: let’s move—it’s time we started shopping...
- ‘Let's move,’ Chris whispered to me.
- Okay... gotta move! See you all later!
- He said that we'd better move if we were going to make it home by dark.
1.5 (in imperative move it) informal Hurry up: come on—move it!
1.6 informal Go quickly: Kennings was really moving when he made contact with a tyre at the hairpin and flipped over...
- The wind was really moving at this point.
- The ball was really moving when it reached him.
- They might look blubbery and slow, but they can move when they have to.
1.7(With reference to merchandise) sell or be sold: [with object]: booksellers should easily be able to move this biography of Lincoln...
- These copies are moving fast and will be sold out in a matter of days.
- I've seen some shell shocked illustrators at shows lately, completely unable to understand why their prints aren't moving in quantity.
2 [no object] Make progress; develop in a particular manner or direction: aircraft design had moved forward a long way councillors are anxious to get things moving as soon as possible...
- He wants a council analysis of traffic through his village before the massive new development moves forward.
- If Blackburn is to move forward, quality development of this nature is required.
- We have got a huge squad and the competition is rife, but you need that for the club to progress and move forward.
Synonyms
progress, make progress, make headway, advance, develop
2.1Change from one state, opinion, or activity to another: the school moved over to the new course in 1987 [with object]: she deftly moved the conversation to safer territory...
- This quality threshold is likely to be raised as the organisation moves into the private sector.
- It is a measure of how far to the right official opinion has moved.
- We moved reluctantly toward the opinion that Labor was, at least arguably, the best option available.
Synonyms
change, budge, shift one's ground, change one's tune, sing a different song, change one's mind, change one's opinion, have second thoughts;
do a U-turn, do an about-face, reconsider, climb down, back-pedal;
British do an about-turn
2.2 (move in/within) Spend one’s time in (a particular sphere) or among (a particular group of people): she moved in the pop and art worlds...
- He was a master at moving within and among very different worlds.
- We moved within the same social circles and were members of the same clubs.
- Democritus was an ancient Greek philosopher who moved in the same circles as Socrates.
Synonyms
circulate, mix, go round, socialize, fraternize, keep company, associate
informal hang out, hang around
British informal hang about
3 [with object and infinitive] Influence or prompt (someone) to do something: his deep love of music moved him to take lessons with Dr Hill...
- I am not moved to love you, Lord, to gain the heaven you have promised in return.
- This is what draws him to us and moves him to love us.
- It might be a rose, an animal, or a child that moves me to paint.
Synonyms
inspire, prompt, stimulate, motivate, provoke, influence, rouse, actuate, incline, persuade, urge, lead, cause, impel, induce, incite, excite
3.1 [no object] Take action: hardliners may yet move against him, but their success might be limited...
- He could be ousted from the Tory leadership within days as MPs finally prepare to move against him.
- The Labour Party has not taken any steps to move against its leader.
- If you are found guilty of such an offence perhaps the government will move against you.
Synonyms
take action, act, take steps, make a move, do something, take measures, take the initiative
informal get moving
3.2 [with object] Arouse a strong feeling, especially of sorrow or sympathy, in (someone): she felt deeply moved by this picture of his plight...
- Many of the crowd were moved to tears during the two-minute silence, while veterans lowered standards to the ground.
- Her husband Jack was moved to tears as onlookers watched him unveil the plaque and lay her ashes to rest.
- I am deeply moved by reading this story and my deepest sympathy goes out to the person who wrote it.
3.3 [with object] archaic Stir up (an emotion) in someone: he justly moves one’s derision...
- All the prejudices, all the exaggerations of both the great parties in the state, moved his scorn.
- It raises the ill humour of mankind, excites the keener spirits, moves indignation in beholders and sows the very seeds of schism in men's bosoms.
- That poor child moved my compassion deeply.
Synonyms
affect, touch, strike, impress, shake, upset, disturb, hit, disquiet, agitate, stir, make an impression on, have an impact on, tug at someone's heartstrings
4 [with object] Propose for discussion and resolution at a meeting or legislative assembly: she intends to move an amendment to the Bill [with clause]: I beg to move that this House deplores the government’s economic policies...
- The Government also intends to move a number of technical amendments at the Committee stage.
- The resolution was moved by the United States and supported unanimously by the Security Council.
- Our union, in 1899, moved a resolution from the Doncaster branch, calling for the Labour Party to be set up.
Synonyms
propose, submit, suggest, put forward, advocate, recommend, request, urge
4.1 archaic Apply formally to (a court or assembly) for something: his family moved the Special Court for adequate ‘maintenance expenses’ to run the household...
- Did you move the court to change its declaration, to bring its declaration into line with its reasons?
- The family moved court for a copy of the will so that it could move court for its legality.
- The latest ruling effectively means that his only remaining option in the matter is to move a civil court to seek damages.
5 [with object] Empty (the bowels): if you haven’t moved your bowels today you’d better do it now...
- Toddlers in nappies are accustomed to urinating and moving their bowels whenever they feel the urge to do so.
- I hadn't eaten or moved my bowels for a week and a half, so I decided to go and see my GP.
- At that time, she was eating a solid diabetic diet, moving her bowels, and ambulating.
noun
1A change of place, position, or state: she made a sudden move towards me the country’s move to independence a career move...
- Eventually the object made a sudden move, jerked across the highway and came to a stop.
- They try hard not to make any sudden moves as they draw their weapons out.
- James held the shotgun in a death grip, his finger on the trigger, ready to blow Steve away if he made any sudden moves.
Synonyms
movement, motion, action, activity;
gesture, gesticulation
1.1A change of house or business premises: Annie mourned her move from the noisy, crowded town to the peace of the countryside the need for more space led to the move to the present offices...
- Just as remarkable is the story of the manuscript's survival through the decades, including three years on the run from the Gestapo, several house moves and even a flood.
- The service ranges from sourcing reliable cleaners, gardeners or plumbers to helping with house moves or booking a holiday.
- I assumed it had gone missing during his various house moves and I just forgot about it.
Synonyms
relocation, change of house/address/job, removal, transfer, posting;
Scottish & Northern English flit, flitting
1.2An act that initiates or advances a process or plan: my next move is to talk to Matthew...
- If the holder of the office is very proactive and indeed imaginative he or she can initiate moves to further the cause of Sligo.
- I was already initiating moves to get myself onto a site much closer to home, back in Liverpool.
- Significant moves are planned to get more tourists into this country by air and sea.
Synonyms
initiative, step, action, act, measure, tack, manoeuvre, tactic, stratagem, deed, gambit, ploy, ruse, trick, dodge
1.3A manoeuvre in a sport or game: Robson began a move which saw Webb run from the halfway line down the right...
- In probably the best move of the game, Moseley scored the important try.
- Smith says much of his success throughout his career came from studying tapes of Rice and incorporating Rice's moves into his game.
- He has incorporated more and more ridiculous moves into his game each year.
1.4A player’s turn to change the position of a piece in a board game: in this position Karpov had to seal his 41st move I am a pawn and bishop down after 12 moves...
- Ray watched as they moved piece by piece, some moves taking longer to consider than others.
- He's like a chess player, looking two moves ahead.
- The left- and right-hand numbers tell us the number of moves remaining after either player's next turn.
Synonyms
turn, go, play;
opportunity, chance
informal shot
Phrases
get a move on
get moving
make a move
make a move on (or put the moves on)
make the first move
move the goalposts
move heaven and earth
move mountains
move up a gear
move with the times
not move a muscle
on the move
Phrasal verbs
move in
move in on
move on (or move someone on)
move over (or aside)
Origin
Middle English: from Old French moveir, from Latin movere.
Latin movere ‘to move’ is the source of mobile and moment as well as of move. People have moved with the times since 1875, and were prepared to move heaven and earth to get what they wanted in the 1790s. In 1873 the English poet Arthur O'Shaughnessy wrote of creative artists, ‘Yet we are the movers and shakers / Of the world for ever, it seems.’ In the 1950s mover and shaker was borrowed for ‘a powerful person who initiates events and influences people’. See also mountain