Meaning & use
move
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To change place or position, or to make something do so.
Grammar: Move; move the chair.
Patterns
- move something
- move to somewhere
Please move your car.
The train started to move.
He moved the chair closer.
verbintransitive
To go to live or work in a new place.
Grammar: With to or into.
Patterns
- move to somewhere
- move house
We moved to Chicago last year.
They are moving into a new flat.
verbtransitive
To cause someone to feel strong emotion.
Grammar: Often passive: be moved.
Patterns
- be moved by something
The story moved her to tears.
I was deeply moved.
verbtransitiveformal
To formally suggest something in a meeting.
Grammar: Move that.
Patterns
- move that something
I move that we adjourn.
She moved a motion.
nouncountable
An action taken to reach a goal, or a turn in a game.
Grammar: Make a move.
Patterns
- make a move
Quitting was a smart move.
It's your move.
nouncountable
A change of home or workplace.
Grammar: A move to somewhere.
Patterns
- a move to somewhere
Their move to Spain went well.
The move took a week.
Word forms
| third person singular | moves |
|---|---|
| past tense | moved |
| past participle | moved |
| -ing form | moving |
| plural | moves |
Common combinations
- move house
- We move house in June.
- move forward
- Let's move forward.
- make a move
- He made a move.
- move on
- It's time to move on.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shift
- Small change of position.
- relocate
- Formal, to a new place.
- touch
- Emotional sense.
- proposal
- A formal suggestion.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: move or remove?
move vs remove
Remove means take away; move means change position.
Practice
The story was so sad that it ___ me to tears.
Choose one answer.
Move to tears means cause strong emotion. The others lack this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “move”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.