jostle

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "jostle" is correct and usable in written English.
It is a verb meaning to push or elbow roughly. For example, "The shoppers jostled each other as they hurried to the checkout".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

My pick: Tosca Cafe In the heart of North Beach, where poetry evenings jostle with strip joints, lies Tosca Cafe, its arched windows and long, muralled bar a beacon for everyone from North Beach bums to Francis Ford Coppola.

The Guardian - Travel

On social media, every adult with a phone – from the builder in the greasy spoon to the City boy on his foreign exchange terminal – is engaged with global issues of principle: mass executions, drone warfare, surveillance, betrayal and the love lives of celebrities jostle alongside the in-play betting odds for the football, or the amusing exploits of somebody's dog.

The Guardian - Opinion

You can see buses and rickshaws jostle for space with pedestrians as hawkers shout out their wares, like the juice seller who sings adapted Hindi film songs beneath the Bandra West skywalk - Jumme ke raat hai, mango bhi saath hai (It's Friday night, and you have a mango drink with you).

The Guardian

The implementation of shared spaces or "naked streets", such as Exhibition Road in Kensington, resemble ordinary, suburban streets in Mumbai, where different road users jostle for position but somehow manage to negotiate their routes.

The Guardian

Liberated from the need to jostle through overcrowded and overheated shops, I will have more free time.

The Guardian

A crowd of kids jostle to see the horrific aftermath of a killing.

The Guardian - Arts

There are two main uses of a purikura: either jostle in with a bunch of friends to commemorate a night out, or, if you're a teenage girl and/or a psychopath, spend hours perfecting your costume before having your image digitally altered until you resemble a creepily infantilised manga cover girl.

The Guardian - Travel

Allegiances, first, routinely jostle each other: family against work, work against ideals, ideals against community, and so on.

The Economist

On its stiflingly hot, bustling streets, lined with half-finished houses of concrete and brick, Japanese pick-ups and motorbikes jostle with horse-drawn carts.

The Economist

And as the courtiers jostle, mistakes creep in.

The Economist

The council lists among its ranks a number of well-known secular types: Omar Idlibi and Rami Nakhle, prominent campaigners for the Local Co-ordination Committees; Khaled Haj al-Saleh, whose brother, Yassin al-Saleh, is a respected writer; and Riad Seif, perhaps Syria's best-known veteran dissident.Members of the new council may jostle for position.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "jostle" to describe situations where there's physical contact due to crowding or competition. It effectively conveys a sense of active pushing or shoving.

Common error

Avoid using "jostle" to describe static arrangements or when there's no sense of active pushing or competition. "Jostle" implies movement and interaction.

Linguistic Context

"Jostle" primarily functions as a verb, describing the action of bumping against or pushing someone or something, often in a crowded environment. Ludwig AI validates its use in describing both physical and metaphorical competition, as illustrated in the examples provided.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "jostle" is a verb frequently used to describe pushing or bumping in a crowded environment or competing for something. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and wide applicability. Predominantly found in News & Media, "jostle" effectively conveys a sense of physical interaction or intense competition. When writing, remember that "jostle" implies action and should be used in dynamic contexts. Steer clear of using it in describing fixed arrangements.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shove

Implies a forceful pushing, often to create space or move someone/something.

push

Suggests applying force to move something forward or away.

crowd

Indicates a dense gathering of people, often leading to unintentional physical contact.

vie

Highlights the competitive aspect of striving for something, often involving multiple participants.

scramble

Implies a hurried and disorganized struggle to obtain something.

contend

Suggests a more formal or sustained competition.

elbow

Refers to using one's elbows to create space in a crowd.

press

Implies moving forward steadily, often in a crowd or against resistance.

jockey

Suggests maneuvering for position, often in a competitive context.

struggle

Indicates a difficult or energetic effort to achieve something.

FAQs

How can I use "jostle" in a sentence?

You can use "jostle" to describe a crowd pushing roughly, for example: "The fans "jostled" to get closer to the stage".

What are some synonyms for "jostle"?

Alternatives for "jostle" include "shove", "push", or "crowd" depending on the context.

Is it correct to use "jostle" to describe a non-physical competition?

While primarily physical, "jostle" can be used metaphorically to describe intense competition. For example: "Companies "jostle" for market share".

What's the difference between "jostle" and "push"?

"Push" is a general term for applying force, while "jostle" implies a rougher, more chaotic pushing, often in a crowd. When people "jostle", they push against one another.