move

[[t]mu͟ːv[/t]]

♦

moves, moving, moved

1) V-ERG When you move something or when it moves, its position changes and it does not remain still.

[V n prep/adv] She moved the sheaf of papers into position...

[V n prep/adv] You can move the camera both vertically and horizontally...

[V n] A traffic warden asked him to move his car...

[V prep/adv] I could see the branches of the trees moving back and forth...

The train began to move.

2) VERB When you move, you change your position or go to a different place.

She waited for him to get up, but he didn't move...

There was so much furniture you could hardly move without bumping into something...

[V prep/adv] He moved around the room, putting his possessions together...

[V prep/adv] She moved away from the window.

Syn:

movement

N-COUNT: usu sing

Move is also a noun.

The doctor made a move towards the door... Daniel's eyes followed her every move.

3) VERB If you move, you act or you begin to do something.

Industrialists must move fast to take advantage of new opportunities in Eastern Europe.

Syn:

act

4) N-COUNT: usu sing A move is an action that you take in order to achieve something.

The one point cut in interest rates was a wise move...

It may also be a good move to suggest she talks things over...

The thirty-five member nations agreed to the move...

Her latest disappearing act may be no more than a stunt, or a smart career move.

5) VERB If a person or company moves, they leave the building where they have been living or working, and they go to live or work in a different place, taking their possessions with them.

My family home is in Yorkshire and they don't want to move...

[V to n] She had often considered moving to London...

[V n] They move house fairly frequently...

[V n] The London Evening Standard moved offices a few years ago.

N-COUNT

Move is also a noun.

Modigliani announced his move to Montparnasse in 1909.

6) VERB If people in authority move someone, they make that person go from one place or job to another one.

[V n prep/adv] His superiors moved him to another parish...

[V n] Ms Clark is still in position and there are no plans to move her...

[V n] The family had to be moved because of an attack on their home.

Syn:

transfer

7) VERB If you move from one job or interest to another, you change to it.

[V from/to n/-ing] He moved from being an extramural tutor to being a lecturer in social history...

[V n] In the early days Christina moved jobs to get experience.

N-COUNT

Move is also a noun.

His move to the chairmanship means he will take a less active role in day-to-day management.

8) VERB If you move to a new topic in a conversation, you start talking about something different.

[V from/to n/-ing] Let's move to another subject, Dan.

9) VERB If you move an event or the date of an event, you change the time at which it happens.

[V n to n] The club has moved its meeting to Saturday, January 22nd...

[V n with adv] The band have moved forward their Leeds date to October 27. [Also V n]

10) VERB If you move towards a particular state, activity, or opinion, you start to be in that state, do that activity, or have that opinion.

[V prep/adv] The Labour Party has moved to the right and become like your Democrat Party...

[V prep/adv] It is already possible to start moving toward the elimination of nuclear weapons...

[V prep/adv] Since the Convention was drawn up international opinion has begun to move against it.

Syn:

shift

N-COUNT

Move is also a noun.

His move to the left was not a sudden leap but a natural working out of ideas.

11) VERB: usu cont If a situation or process is moving, it is developing or progressing, rather than staying still.

Events are moving fast...

[V n -ing] Someone has got to get things moving.

12) VERB: usu passive, with neg If you say that you will not be moved, you mean that you have come to a decision and nothing will change your mind.

[be V-ed] Everyone thought I was mad to go back, but I wouldn't be moved.

Syn:

budge

13) VERB If something moves you to do something, it influences you and causes you to do it.

[V n to-inf] It was punk that first moved him to join a band seriously...

[V n to-inf] The president was moved to come up with these suggestions after the hearings.

Syn:

prompts

14) VERB If something moves you, it has an effect on your emotions and causes you to feel sadness or sympathy for another person.

[V n] These stories surprised and moved me...

[V n to n] His prayer moved me to tears.

Derived words:

moved ADJ-GRADED v-link ADJ

Those who listened to him were deeply moved.

15) VERB If you say that someone moves in a particular society, circle, or world, you mean that they know people in a particular social class or group and spend most of their time with them.

[V in n] She moves in high-society circles in London...

[V in n] They moved in a world where hostility to racists was natural.

16) VERB At a meeting, if you move a motion, you formally suggest it so that everyone present can vote on it.

[V n] Labour quickly moved a closure motion to end the debate...

[V that] I move that the case be dismissed.

Syn:

put forward

17) N-COUNT A move is an act of putting a chess piece or other counter in a different position on a board when it is your turn to do so in a game.

With no idea of what to do for my next move, my hand hovered over the board.

18) PHRASE If you say that one false move will cause a disaster, you mean that you or someone else must not make any mistakes because the situation is so difficult or dangerous.

He knew one false move would end in death.

19) PHRASE If you tell someone to get a move on, you are telling them to hurry. [INFORMAL]

Syn:

hurry up

20) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR to-inf If you make a move, you prepare or begin to leave one place and go somewhere else.

He glanced at his wristwatch. `I suppose we'd better make a move.'...

He made a move to leave.

21) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR to-inf If you make a move, you take a course of action.

The week before the deal was supposed to close, fifteen Japanese banks made a move to pull out...

Don't wait for others to make the first move: invite friends to visit you.

22) PHRASE: usu PHR after v, v-link PHR If you are on the move, you are going from one place to another.

Jack never wanted to stay in one place for very long, so they were always on the move.

23) to move the goalposts → see goalpost

to move heaven and earth → see heaven

to move a muscle → see muscle

to move with the times → see time

Phrasal Verbs:

- move about

- move along

- move around

- move away

- move down

- move in

- move into

- move off

- move on

- move out

- move over

- move up