shore
gb/ʃˈɔɹ/ us/ʃˈɔɹ/
A2
English
~ 5300
part, föld, dúc, támasz, megtámaszt, aládúcol, megerősít, megtámogat, stabilizál
NOUN
A2
1
part
A2
Usage pattern:
on/along the shore of [a sea/lake/river]
We walked along the shore of the lake until sunset.
Naplementéig a tó partján sétáltunk.
The boat slowly moved toward the shore after the storm.
A vihar után a csónak lassan a part felé haladt.
Children were playing on the sandy shore near the hotel.
Oil from the damaged ship washed up on the shore.
They could see the lights of the town from just off the shore.
Learner examples
Many people sit on the shore and watch the sea.
Sokan ülnek a parton, és nézik a tengert.
The swimmers came back to the shore when it got dark.
Az úszók visszajöttek a partra, amikor besötétedett.
A small house stands on the shore of the river.
We had a picnic on the shore of the lake.
Waves hit the shore again and again.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'shore', 'beach', and 'coast'. A 'shore' is any land along the edge of water. A 'beach' is a sandy or pebbly part of the shore where people usually relax or swim. 'Coast' is often used for long stretches of land next to the sea, especially in maps or travel descriptions.
Meaning
land along the edge of water
Collocations
rocky shore
|sandy shore
|along the shore
|on the shore
|reach the shore
|near the shore
Synonyms
coast (Very close in meaning, but often used more for long stretches of land by the sea, while 'shore' can also be used for lakes and rivers and can feel a bit more local or immediate.)
Antonyms
open water (Refers to the water away from land, the opposite of the land at the edge of the water.)
Themes
geography
|nature
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Land at the edge of the sea, a lake, or a big river.
The land along the edge of a sea, lake, or wide river, where the water meets the land.
B2
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
to [someone’s] native/foreign/these shores
Thousands of immigrants arrived on these shores in the early twentieth century.
A huszadik század elején bevándorlók ezrei érkeztek erre a földre.
After years abroad, he finally returned to his native shores.
Külföldön töltött évek után végre visszatért szülőföldjére.
The film tells the story of a family seeking a better life on foreign shores.
Traders from distant shores once came here to sell their goods.
They dreamed of leaving their village for brighter shores overseas.
Learner examples
Many people came to these shores to find work.
Sokan jöttek erre a földre, hogy munkát találjanak.
He left his homeland and went to foreign shores.
Elhagyta a hazáját, és idegen földre ment.
After ten years away, she came back to her native shores.
Stories of rich shores far away made them want to travel.
Ships from distant shores brought new ideas to the city.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use this sense in very ordinary sentences like *'We walked along the foreign shores'* when they only mean the physical edge of the sea. This sense is more about 'countries' and is often a literary way to talk about nations or homelands, usually in the plural ('these shores', 'foreign shores').
Meaning
country or land as destination
Collocations
foreign shores
|these shores
|our shores
|American shores
|British shores
Synonyms
land (In phrases like 'set foot on land', it has a similar meaning, but 'shores' sounds more poetic or literary.)
Antonyms
homeland (Often used as the opposite of 'foreign shores', referring to one’s own country instead of another country.)
Themes
travel
|society
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A country or land, spoken about as a place people go to or leave, often used in the plural and in a literary way.
A country or land area, especially considered as a place that people travel to or from, often used in the plural in a slightly literary style.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
install shores to support [a structure]
Temporary shores were installed to stabilize the damaged wall.
Ideiglenes dúcokat helyeztek el, hogy stabilizálják a sérült falat.
Engineers added extra shores under the floor before removing the old columns.
A mérnökök további dúcokat tettek a födém alá, mielőtt eltávolították a régi oszlopokat.
The contractor inspected each shore to make sure it was correctly positioned.
Steel shores held the bridge in place during the repair work.
Workers removed the shores only after the concrete had fully cured.
Learner examples
The workers put strong shores under the weak wall.
A munkások erős támaszokat tettek a meggyengült fal alá.
They used metal shores to support the old bridge.
Fémtámaszokat használtak a régi híd megtámasztására.
Before fixing the house, they added shores under the floor.
Many shores held the heavy roof during the work.
The engineer checked every shore for safety.
Meaning
supporting beam for a structure
Collocations
wooden shore
|steel shore
|temporary shores
|install shores
|remove the shores
Synonyms
prop (A general word for something that supports another object; 'shore' is more specific to construction and structural support.)
Antonyms
collapse (A failure of a structure when it is not properly supported, the opposite result of what a shore is used to prevent.)
Themes
construction
|engineering
|work
|technology
Definition
A strong piece of wood or metal used to hold up a wall, building, or other structure so it does not fall.
A strong beam or post used in building or engineering to support a structure and prevent it from falling or shifting.
VERB
B2
4
megtámaszt
B2
aládúcol
C1
Usage pattern:
shore [something] up with [supports]
They used wooden beams to shore up the tunnel after the landslide.
A földcsuszamlás után fagerendákkal támasztották meg az alagutat.
Workers shored up the old bridge before moving the heavy equipment across it.
A munkások megtámasztották a régi hidat, mielőtt átvitték rajta a nehéz berendezéseket.
The rescue team quickly shored up the ceiling to prevent it from collapsing.
Contractors shored up the house so they could repair the damaged foundation.
Engineers decided to shore up the retaining wall as a temporary solution.
Learner examples
The men shored up the weak wall with wood.
A férfiak fával támasztották meg a meggyengült falat.
We must shore up the old stairs before using them.
Használat előtt meg kell támasztanunk a régi lépcsőt.
They shored up the roof so it would not fall.
The workers shored it up with metal posts.
Engineers shored up the bridge after the storm.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only 'shore' without 'up' in this physical sense (e.g., *'They shored the wall.'*). While this is not wrong, in modern English the phrasal form 'shore up' is much more common.
Meaning
support something with props
Collocations
shore up the wall
|shore up the building
|shore up the roof
|shore it up
|shore up the floor
Synonyms
prop up (Very close in meaning, but slightly more informal and common in everyday speech; 'shore up' can sound a bit more technical or serious in physical contexts.)
Antonyms
knock down (To cause a structure to fall, the opposite of supporting it so that it stays up.)
Themes
construction
|engineering
|work
|technology
Definition
To hold up a wall, building, or other thing by putting strong supports against or under it.
To support a structure by placing props or beams against or under it so that it does not fall or move.
VERB
C1
5
Usage pattern:
shore up [something abstract]
The government announced new measures to shore up the struggling economy.
A kormány új intézkedéseket jelentett be a gyengélkedő gazdaság megerősítésére.
She tried to shore up his confidence before the big presentation.
A nagy előadás előtt megpróbálta megerősíteni az önbizalmát.
The company is looking for new investors to shore up its finances.
Officials are working to shore up support for the reform package.
The coach brought in an experienced player to shore up the defense.
Learner examples
New rules were made to shore up the banking system.
Új szabályokat hoztak a bankrendszer megerősítésére.
They cut costs to shore up the company’s profits.
Csökkentették a költségeket, hogy stabilizálják a vállalat nyereségét.
Her friends tried to shore up her confidence after the failure.
The party needs to shore up its support before the election.
Extra training was used to shore up the team’s weak skills.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'shore'* without 'up' in this figurative sense, but in modern English the expression 'shore up' is the natural form. They may also confuse it with 'sure up', which is incorrect spelling.
Meaning
strengthen or support something weak
Collocations
shore up the economy
|shore up support
|shore up confidence
|shore up the system
|shore up his image
|shore up the company
Synonyms
strengthen (A more general and common word; 'shore up' often suggests something is already weak or in trouble and needs emergency or temporary help.)
Antonyms
undermine (To weaken or damage something, the opposite of supporting or strengthening it.)
Themes
business
|politics
|emotions
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To help something that is weak, like a system, plan, or feeling, so that it does not fail.
To support or strengthen something that is weak or in danger of failing, especially an organization, system, feeling, or reputation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shore
IPA
GB/ʃˈɔɹ/
US/ʃˈɔɹ/
Syllables & stress
shore (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shore)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shore
- Plural: shore, shores
Verb
- Base: shore
- 3rd Person Singular: shores
- Present Participle: shoring
- Past: shored
Word family
Expressions
foreign shores
1/fˈɔɹən ʃˈɔɹz/
fixed phrase
literary
other countries as travel destinations
Other countries, not your own, thought of as places people travel to or arrive at.
Examples
- Many young people dream of moving to foreign shores in search of opportunity.
- The museum tells stories of families who left for foreign shores with little more than a suitcase.
- Her books are popular on foreign shores as well as at home.
from shore to shore
1/fɹˈʌm ʃˈɔɹ tə ʃˈɔɹ/
idiom
literary
across an entire land or country
Across the whole width of a country or area, from one side to the other.
Examples
- The song is known from shore to shore.
- The festival is celebrated from shore to shore in this country.
- News of the victory spread from shore to shore.
on shore
1/ˈɔn ʃˈɔɹ/
fixed phrase
on land, not at sea
On the land next to the sea, not on a boat or in the water.
Examples
- The passengers stayed on shore while the crew loaded the ship.
- After three months at sea, it felt strange to walk on shore again.
- We waited on shore and watched the boats come in.
shore leave
1/ʃˈɔɹ lˈiv/
fixed phrase
sailors’ time off on land
Time when sailors are allowed to leave their ship and stay on land for rest or fun while the ship is in port.
Examples
- The crew were excited to get a few days of shore leave.
- During shore leave, the sailors explored the city and relaxed in cafes.
- He met his future wife while on shore leave in Sydney.
shore up
1/ʃˈɔɹ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
support or strengthen something weak
To support or strengthen something that is weak or in danger, so that it does not fail.
Examples
- The central bank cut interest rates to shore up the currency.
- The manager hired more staff to shore up the customer service team.
- They launched a new marketing campaign to shore up falling sales.
these shores
1/ðˈiz ʃˈɔɹz/
fixed phrase
literary
the speaker’s own country
The country or land where the speaker lives or is talking about, usually their own country.
Examples
- That style of music only became popular on these shores in the 1990s.
- Such animals are not normally found on these shores.
- This policy has caused much debate on these shores.