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

Multiple governments are jostling for sovereignty over the waterway, a crucial economic corridor through which one third of global maritime trade passes every year. — Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

The biggest lesson from the 2026 World Cup is not that B2B brands are jostling for center stage with B2C sponsors. — Nikos Lemanis, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Noun

The 420 Sport jostles and squirms on these surfaces at low speeds, but the payoff is unfiltered, no-nonsense feedback. — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 22 July 2026

On sunny days, when Manhattanites swap scorching sidewalks for the cool exhale of a sea breeze, the beachfront jostles. — Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026

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
• nitrosyl
• 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