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

Makris and his team theorized that rain sounds underwater might produce large enough vibrations to jostle the statoliths and possibly spur germination in rice seeds. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026

Four Democrats and one Republican are jostling to become one of the top two candidates to emerge from the June 2 primary. —Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Noun

This surrender to life is what Josh and Lindsay lost in the jostle for advantage and power. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

The crinkle of protein bars being unwrapped blended with the jostle of conversation. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 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
• 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