shoulder
gb/ʃˈoʊldɚ/ us/ʃˈoʊldɚ/
A2
English
~ 1200
váll, útpadka, leállósáv, vállra vesz, vállon visz, felel, vállal, felelősséget visel, hárul
NOUN
A2
1
váll
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s shoulder
She carried the heavy bag over her shoulder.
A vállán vitte a nehéz táskát.
He felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder after the fall.
Az esés után éles fájdalmat érzett a bal vállában.
The doctor examined my shoulder to check for injury.
Her dress slipped off one shoulder.
He tapped me gently on the shoulder.
Learner examples
My shoulder hurts.
Fáj a vállam.
She put her bag on her shoulder.
A vállára tette a táskáját.
He touched my shoulder.
I have pain in my right shoulder.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'shoulder' with 'shoulder blade', which is a specific bone at the back of the shoulder area.
Meaning
Joint between arm and body
Collocations
broad shoulders
|shoulder pain
|injure a shoulder
|shoulder muscles
Synonyms
upper arm joint (More technical anatomical term for the same area, but less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
hip (Hip is a different major joint connecting the leg to the torso, opposite in location.)
Themes
anatomy
|daily life
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The part of your body between your neck and the top of your arm.
The part of the body where the arm is connected to the torso, including the surrounding muscles and bones.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
on the shoulder [of a road]
He pulled over onto the shoulder when his tire went flat.
Félrehúzódott az útpadkára, amikor defektet kapott.
The police car was parked on the highway shoulder.
A rendőrautó az autópálya leállósávjában állt.
Walking on the shoulder can be dangerous.
Learner examples
The car stopped on the shoulder.
Az autó megállt az útpadkán.
We stood on the shoulder of the road.
Az útpadkán álltunk.
He parked on the shoulder.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with 'shoulder' as part of the body, especially in figurative phrases.
Meaning
Roadside emergency stopping area
Collocations
pull onto the shoulder
|stand on the shoulder
|park on the shoulder
Synonyms
roadside (General term for the side area along a road; not always paved or suitable for stopping.)
Antonyms
traffic lane (The part of the road where vehicles normally drive, opposite of the shoulder.)
Themes
transportation
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The edge of a road where cars can stop in an emergency.
A strip of land or pavement beside a road or highway where vehicles can stop in an emergency.
VERB
B2
3
vállra vesz
B1
vállon visz
B1
Usage pattern:
to shoulder [something]
He shouldered his backpack and left the house.
Vállára vette a hátizsákját, és elment otthonról.
The workers shouldered heavy sacks of rice.
A munkások vállukra vették a rizzsel teli nehéz zsákokat.
She shouldered her coat and walked out.
Learner examples
I shouldered my bag.
A vállamra vettem a táskámat.
He shouldered his backpack.
Vállára vette a hátizsákját.
They shouldered heavy boxes.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse this with 'put on your shoulders' physically without movement; 'shoulder' as a verb implies carrying or moving something.
Meaning
Carry on one's shoulder
Collocations
shoulder a bag
|shoulder a load
Synonyms
hoist (Emphasizes lifting something heavy, not always onto the shoulder.)
Antonyms
drop (To let something fall instead of carrying it.)
Themes
daily life
|physical actions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To carry something by putting it on your shoulder.
To lift and hold something so that it rests on your shoulder while being carried.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to shoulder [a responsibility / burden / blame]
She shouldered the blame for the team's failure.
Magára vállalta a felelősséget a csapat kudarcáért.
He shouldered the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings.
Ő vállalta a felelősséget fiatalabb testvérei gondozásáért.
The company shouldered all legal costs.
Learner examples
I will shoulder this job.
Vállalom ezt a munkát.
She shouldered the cost of the trip.
Ő vállalta az utazás költségeit.
He shouldered the blame.
Common mistake:
Learners might take this literally as carrying something physically; here it is figurative for taking responsibility.
Meaning
Take responsibility or burden
Collocations
shoulder the blame
|shoulder responsibility
|shoulder the cost
Synonyms
undertake (Formal term for accepting a task; doesn't have the physical metaphor of 'shoulder'.)
Antonyms
avoid (To refuse or escape taking responsibility.)
Themes
work
|responsibility
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To agree to do something difficult or take responsibility for something bad or hard.
To accept and deal with a difficult duty, task, or responsibility.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shoulder
IPA
GB/ʃˈoʊldɚ/
US/ʃˈoʊldɚ/
Syllables & stress
shoulder (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shoulder)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shoulder
- Plural: shoulders
Verb
- Base: shoulder
- 3rd Person Singular: shoulders
- Present Participle: shouldering
- Past: shouldered
Word family
Forms
shoulders
noun
shouldering
verb
shouldered
verb
Expressions
a chip on your shoulder
1/ə t͡ʃˈɪp ˈɔn jˈʊɹ ʃˈoʊldɚ/
idiom
informal
Holding a grudge or resentment
To be easily angered because you think you have been treated unfairly in the past.
Examples
- He’s got a real chip on his shoulder about not going to college.
- Don't go into the meeting with a chip on your shoulder.
look over your shoulder
1/lˈʊk ˈoʊvɚ jˈʊɹ ʃˈoʊldɚ/
idiom
Be watchful for danger behind you
To keep checking behind you because you feel unsafe or worried someone might be following you.
Examples
- Ever since the robbery, he's been looking over his shoulder wherever he goes.
- She walked quickly, looking over her shoulder from time to time.
put your shoulder to the wheel
1/pˈʊt jˈʊɹ ʃˈoʊldɚ tə ðə wˈil/
idiom
Work hard at something important
To start working very hard at something that needs to be done.
Examples
- If we all put our shoulders to the wheel, we can finish this project on time.
- It's time to put your shoulder to the wheel and get it done.
shoulder to shoulder
1/ʃˈoʊldɚ tə ʃˈoʊldɚ/
fixed phrase
Standing side by side together closely
Standing next to each other so that shoulders touch, often showing unity or working together.
Examples
- They stood shoulder to shoulder in support of their friend.
- The soldiers marched forward, shoulder to shoulder.
give someone the cold shoulder
1/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə kˈoʊld ʃˈoʊldɚ/
idiom
informal
Deliberately ignore someone
To act like you do not see or know someone because you are angry or do not like them.
Examples
- After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder for days.
- He felt hurt when his friends gave him the cold shoulder at the party.
give someone the cold shoulder
2/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə kˈoʊld ʃˈoʊldɚ/
idiom
Deliberately ignore someone
To treat someone in an unfriendly way by ignoring them.
Examples
- After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder for days.
- He tried to talk to her, but she gave him the cold shoulder.