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; shouldering
ˈshōl-d(ə-)riŋ 
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
: to push with or as if with the shoulders aggressively
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2023
Jackson’s top two receiver targets — Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) and Zay Flowers (hip) — are dealing with injuries and entered the weekend questionable to play.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2023
In our testing, the Timberline had no trouble smoking 50 pounds of pork shoulder while WIRED editor and backyard chef Parker Hall monitored the temps while entertaining a small gathering of some 100 people.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023
In one snap, Nick and Vanessa placed their hands on their daughter's shoulders as the three of them smiled at the camera.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
One man has a towel over his shoulder, deep in concentration.
—Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Last week, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had to get out its Canada Goose parka to weather the cold shoulder The Marvels received.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2023
Microphones are placed around the orchestra on stage to record specific instruments and send a live signal to activate vibrations in the shoulders, forearms and upper and lower back.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023
Clouse released and made a solid hit behind the shoulder.
—Outdoor Life, 22 Nov. 2023
Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2023
And spouses can hold onto only a modest amount of income and assets, often leaving their children and grandchildren to shoulder some of the financial burden.
—Jordan Rau, Fortune Well, 16 Nov. 2023
All of Israel’s security chiefs have publicly shouldered blame for an event considered the worst intelligence and military failure in the country’s history.
—Neri Zilber, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2023
Marvel would shoulder some of the production costs by preselling distribution rights in five foreign territories for each of the four films.
—Joanna Robinson, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2023
But there will almost certainly be a reckoning—as there had been for Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan, who shouldered much of the blame for the way Israel was caught by surprise in 1973.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
The MrBeast ad shows an AI version of Donaldson, shoulders up, in a pink hoodie and gray baseball cap.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2023
Councilmembers Traci Park and John Lee voted against the measure, with Park raising concerns about the burdens that housing providers — particularly mom-and-pop landlords — have had to shoulder during the pandemic.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The sleuth in this kind of whodunit has to shoulder a heavy load: onscreen nearly the entire time, delivering metric tons of exposition, reacting to new plot developments in ways that are apparent to the viewer but not always to the other characters, etc.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
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Noun
Finding the Best Value As my own stay can attest, coming here in the shoulder season is a great way to get a wellness boost at lower prices.
—Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2023
Jackson’s top two receiver targets — Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) and Zay Flowers (hip) — are dealing with injuries and entered the weekend questionable to play.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2023
In our testing, the Timberline had no trouble smoking 50 pounds of pork shoulder while WIRED editor and backyard chef Parker Hall monitored the temps while entertaining a small gathering of some 100 people.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023
In one snap, Nick and Vanessa placed their hands on their daughter's shoulders as the three of them smiled at the camera.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
One man has a towel over his shoulder, deep in concentration.
—Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Last week, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had to get out its Canada Goose parka to weather the cold shoulder The Marvels received.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2023
Microphones are placed around the orchestra on stage to record specific instruments and send a live signal to activate vibrations in the shoulders, forearms and upper and lower back.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023
Clouse released and made a solid hit behind the shoulder.
—Outdoor Life, 22 Nov. 2023
Verb
Gaza becomes ‘a graveyard for children’ as Israel intensifies airstrikes
Before the war, even during previous wars, donkey carts and Toyotas shouldered past each other in Gaza City’s chaotic intersections.
—Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2023
And spouses can hold onto only a modest amount of income and assets, often leaving their children and grandchildren to shoulder some of the financial burden.
—Jordan Rau, Fortune Well, 16 Nov. 2023
All of Israel’s security chiefs have publicly shouldered blame for an event considered the worst intelligence and military failure in the country’s history.
—Neri Zilber, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2023
Marvel would shoulder some of the production costs by preselling distribution rights in five foreign territories for each of the four films.
—Joanna Robinson, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2023
But there will almost certainly be a reckoning—as there had been for Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan, who shouldered much of the blame for the way Israel was caught by surprise in 1973.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
The MrBeast ad shows an AI version of Donaldson, shoulders up, in a pink hoodie and gray baseball cap.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2023
Councilmembers Traci Park and John Lee voted against the measure, with Park raising concerns about the burdens that housing providers — particularly mom-and-pop landlords — have had to shoulder during the pandemic.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The sleuth in this kind of whodunit has to shoulder a heavy load: onscreen nearly the entire time, delivering metric tons of exposition, reacting to new plot developments in ways that are apparent to the viewer but not always to the other characters, etc.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shoulder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of shoulder was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing shoulder
Articles Related to shoulder
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Dictionary Entries Near shoulder
Cite this Entry
“Shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoulder. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on shoulder
Nglish: Translation of shoulder for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of shoulder for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shoulder
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