shoe
gb/ʃˈu/ us/ʃˈu/
A1
English
~ 2000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Footwear covering the foot
Something you wear on your foot to protect it when you walk outside.
Usage pattern:
to wear [a shoe]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'shoe' with 'sock', but socks are worn inside shoes and made of cloth.
Synonyms
footwear (A more general term that can include all types of foot coverings, not just shoes.)
Antonyms
barefoot (Describes having no covering on the feet.)
Collocations
pair of shoes
|wear shoes
|put on shoes
|take off shoes
|running shoes
Themes
clothing
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She bought a new pair of red shoes for the party.
- Please take off your shoes before entering the house.
- His shoes were muddy after walking in the garden.
- These running shoes are very comfortable for long distances.
Learner examples
- I have black shoes.
- My shoes are old.
- He wears big shoes.
- She puts on her shoes.
- We take off our shoes at home.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Protective hoof covering for animals
A piece of metal put under a horse's foot to protect it.
Synonyms
horseshoe (Specifically refers to the curved metal plate used on horses' hooves.)
Collocations
fit a horse with shoes
|remove horse's shoes
Themes
animals
|farming
|nature
|daily_life
Examples
- The blacksmith came to fit new shoes on the horse.
- Without proper shoes, the horse's hooves can get damaged.
- These shoes are specially designed for racing horses.
Learner examples
- The horse has new shoes.
- A man puts shoes on the horse.
- The horse's shoe is heavy.
Verb
B2
action
3
To put footwear on feet or hooves
To put shoes on someone's feet or on an animal's feet.
Usage pattern:
to shoe [someone/something]
Synonyms
equip (More general term meaning to supply with necessary items; less specific to footwear.)
Collocations
shoe a horse
|shoe the children
Themes
clothing
|animals
|daily_life
Examples
- He learned how to shoe a horse from his grandfather.
- The parents shod their children in warm boots for winter.
- The cobbler will shoe them before the parade.
Learner examples
- The man shoes the horse.
- She shoes her son before school.
- We shoe the children in boots.
Noun
B2
entity
4
Shoe-shaped mechanical part
A part of a machine that looks like a shoe and helps it work smoothly.
Synonyms
brake pad (Specific part in braking systems; not all mechanical shoes are brake pads.)
Collocations
brake shoe
|clutch shoe
Themes
technology
|engineering
|science
|work
Examples
- The mechanic replaced the worn brake shoes in the car.
- This model uses ceramic brake shoes for better performance.
- The elevator's safety system includes special guide shoes.
Learner examples
- The car has brake shoes.
- He changes the brake shoe.
- The brake shoe is new.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shoe
IPA
GB/ʃˈu/
US/ʃˈu/
Syllables & stress
shoe (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shoe)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shoe
- Plural: shoes
Verb
- Base: shoe
- 3rd Person Singular: shoes
- Present Participle: shoeing
- Past: shod, shoed
- Past Participle: shod
Word family
Forms
shoes
noun
shoeing
verb
shod
verb
shoed
verb
Core family
shoelace
noun
shoemaker
noun
Related words
footwear
noun B1
horseshoe
noun
Negative and opposite forms
shoeless
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: shoeing Verb
- Irregular past participle: shod Verb
Expressions
be in someone's shoes
1/bˈi ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz ʃˈuz/
idiom
Be in another person's situation
To be in the same situation as someone else.
Examples
- I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes right now.
- If you were in my shoes, what would you do?
fill someone's shoes
1/fˈɪl sˈʌmwˌʌnz ʃˈuz/
idiom
Replace someone successfully in a role
To do someone's job as well as they did it before.
Examples
- It will be hard to find someone to fill her shoes when she retires.
- He’s done a great job filling his predecessor’s shoes.
if the shoe fits (wear it)
1/ˈɪf ðə ʃˈu fˈɪts wˈɛɹ ˈɪt/
idiom
informal
Accept a true description about yourself
If something said about you is true, you should accept it.
Examples
- I didn’t mean anyone in particular, but if the shoe fits, wear it.
- He got angry at her comment, but if the shoe fits...
the other shoe drops / waiting for the other shoe to drop
1/ðə ˈʌðɚ ʃˈu dɹˈɑps wˈeɪtɪŋ fɚ ðə ˈʌðɚ ʃˈu tə dɹˈɑp/
idiom
informal
Expecting something else to happen next
Waiting for something else bad or important to happen after something has already happened.
Examples
- After that announcement, we were just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
- He’s nervous, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
walk a mile in someone's shoes
1/wˈɔk ə mˈaɪl ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz ʃˈuz/
idiom
Understand someone's experience by imagining being them
To understand someone better by thinking about what life is like for them.
Examples
- Before judging her, try walking a mile in her shoes.
- He realized he had been unfair after walking a mile in their shoes.