jostle

1 of 2

verb

jos·​tle ˈjä-səl 

jostled; jostling ˈjā-s(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to come in contact or into collision

a jostling crowd

b

: to make one's way by pushing and shoving

people jostling toward the exit

c

: to exist in close proximity

2

: to vie in gaining an objective : contend

… tribes began to jostle with one another for room …

—Daniel Defoe

transitive verb

1

a

: to come in contact or into collision with

being jostled by the crowd

b

: to force by pushing : elbow

jostled his way through the crowd

c

: to stir up : agitate

thunder jostled us awake

d

: to exist in close proximity with

… Europe, where a number of languages jostle each other …

—D. G. Mandelbaum

2

: to vie with in attaining an objective

… an enormous industry in which a great many companies and interests jostle each other fiercely.

—Washington Post

jostle

2 of 2

noun

1

: the experience of being pushed or jostled (see jostle entry 1)

… might glide through … life among them without a jostle.

—Thomas Jefferson

2

: the state of being crowded or pushed together : the state of being jostled

… the state fair is deliberately about the crowds and jostle, the noise and overload of sight and event.

—David Foster Wallace

Synonyms of jostle

Verb

• push
• squeeze

Examples of jostle in a Sentence

Verb

Everyone in the crowd was jostling each other trying to get a better view.

everyone glared at the man who jostled to the front of the line

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Both sides are now jostling for control of Jubaland’s northern Gedo region. —Omar S Mahmood, Time, 24 Oct. 2025

This is stylish and practical but not secure if placed where the glasses might get jostled. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025

Noun

Microsoft in 2020 released findings from a two-year study that determined undersea datacenters would prove a reliable and practical solution for issues related to corrosion from oxygen and humidity, temperature fluctuations, and bumps and jostles from people who replace broken components. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025

The last 45 minutes to an hour will be on a lumpy dirt road, but the bumps and jostles will be worth the trip. —Robert Annis, Outside, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of justle, frequentative of joust entry 1

Noun

derivative of jostle entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1546, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for jostle

• apostle
• colossal
• hydrocele
• nitrosyl
• subbasal
• docile
• fossil
• hypoglossal
• nannofossil

Kids Definition

jostle

1 of 2 verb

jos·​tle ˈjäs-əl 

jostled; jostling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to run or knock against so as to jar : push roughly

2

: to make one's way by jostling

jostle

2 of 2 noun

: a jostling blow : shove