shoulder

1 of 2

noun

shoul·​der ˈshōl-dər 

1

a

: the laterally projecting part of the human body formed of the bones and joints with their covering tissue by which the arm is connected with the trunk

b

: the region of the body of nonhuman vertebrates that corresponds to the shoulder but is less projecting

2

a

: the two shoulders and the upper part of the back

—usually used in plural

b

shoulders plural : capacity for bearing a task or blame

placed the guilt squarely on his shoulders

3

: a cut of meat including the upper joint of the foreleg and adjacent parts see lamb illustration

4

: the part of a garment at the wearer's shoulder

5

: an area adjacent to or along the edge of a higher, more prominent, or more important part: such as

a(1)

: the part of a hill or mountain near the top

(2)

: a lateral protrusion or extension of a hill or mountain

b

: either edge of a roadway

specifically : the part of a roadway outside of the traveled way

6

: a rounded or sloping part (as of a stringed instrument or a bottle) where the neck joins the body

shouldered

ˈshōl-dərd 

adjective

shoulder

2 of 2

verb

shouldered; shouldering ˈshōl-d(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to push or thrust with or as if with the shoulder : jostle

shouldered his way through the crowd

2

a

: to place or bear on the shoulder

shouldered her knapsack

b

: to assume the burden or responsibility of

shoulder the blame

intransitive verb

: to push with or as if with the shoulders aggressively

Synonyms

Verb

• accept
• assume
• bear
• undertake

Examples of shoulder in a Sentence

Noun

He rested the baby's head on his shoulder.

He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

She carried a backpack on one shoulder.

The horse is five feet high at the shoulder.

We had pork shoulder for dinner.

Verb

He shouldered the blame for the project's failure.

The company will shoulder the costs of the repairs.

She shouldered the full burden of raising three children.

He shouldered the door open.

She shouldered through the crowd.

She shouldered her way through the crowd.

The soldiers shouldered their rifles and marched away.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At the door, a man in a shiny blue suit and eyeglasses forged from some fragile-looking but probably indestructible mineral whose extraction shapes contemporary geoeconomics said hello, peered over my shoulder. —Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025

Jhye Richardson remains the upside option if his shoulder load allows. —Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

Verb

My sister had shouldered the heavy burden of caring for our mother in her final years, after which she was left with nearly all of our mother’s remaining belongings that had been left in her home. —Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025

Maiava, who’s typically reserved, shouldered some of the blame after completing just 52% of his passes and throwing a season-high two interceptions. —Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sholder, from Old English sculdor; akin to Old High German scultra shoulder

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing shoulder

• a shoulder to cry on
• chip on one's shoulder
• cold shoulder
• gave him the cold shoulder
• got the cold shoulder
• hard shoulder
• have a chip on one's shoulder
• left shoulder arms
• look over one's shoulder
• right shoulder arms
• shoulder bag
• shoulder belt
• shoulder blade
• shoulder board
• shoulder girdle
• shoulder harness
• shoulder-high
• shoulder knot
• shoulder-length
• shoulder pad
• shoulder patch
• shoulder strap
• shoulder to shoulder
• the cold shoulder

Rhymes for shoulder

• bolder
• bowlder
• colder
• folder
• golder
• holder
• molder
• moulder
• older
• polder
• beholder
• bondholder

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

Kids Definition

shoulder

1 of 2 noun

shoul·​der ˈshōl-dər 

1

: the part of the body of a person or animal where the arm or foreleg joins the body

2

: a cut of meat including the upper joint of the foreleg and attached parts

3

: the part of a garment at the wearer's shoulder

4

: a part that resembles a person's shoulder

shoulder of a hill

5

: the edge of a road

shoulder

2 of 2 verb

shouldered; shouldering -d(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to push with one's shoulder

shouldered him aside

2

: to accept as one's burden or responsibility

shoulder the blame

Medical Definition

shoulder

noun

shoul·​der ˈshōl-dər 

1

: the laterally projecting part of the human body formed of the bones and joints with their covering tissue by which the arm is connected with the trunk

2

: the two shoulders and the upper part of the back

—usually used in plural