shape
verb/ʃeɪp/
/ʃeɪp/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they shape | /ʃeɪp/ /ʃeɪp/ |
| he / she / it shapes | /ʃeɪps/ /ʃeɪps/ |
| past simple shaped | /ʃeɪpt/ /ʃeɪpt/ |
| past participle shaped | /ʃeɪpt/ /ʃeɪpt/ |
| -ing form shaping | /ˈʃeɪpɪŋ/ /ˈʃeɪpɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] to make something into a particular shape
- shape A into B Shape the dough into a ball.
- The man was busy shaping mud into bricks.
- shape something This tool is used for shaping wood.
- They use traditional methods to shape the stone.
- tools for cutting and shaping metal
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
- [transitive] shape somebody/something to have an important influence on the way that somebody/something develops
- You are helping to shape the future of this country.
- She had a leading role in shaping party policy.
- the historical circumstances that shaped their lives.
- His ideas had been shaped by his experiences during the war.
Extra Examples- He was responsible for shaping my career.
- Memory can be profoundly shaped by subsequent experience.
- Money played a major role in shaping his decision.
- The fictional Capone has continued to shape America's vision of the 1920s.
- The media had great influence in shaping public opinion.
- Work was an important factor in shaping their children's attitudes.
- Religion had long been losing its power to shape and control behaviour.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- decisively
- fundamentally
- powerfully
- …
- help (to)
- continue to
- in
- into
- be a factor in shaping something
- be a force in shaping something
- be important in shaping something
- …
- [intransitive] shape to do something to prepare to do something, especially hit or kick something
- She was shaping to hit her second shot.
Word OriginOld English gesceap ‘external form’, also ‘creation’, sceppan ‘create’, of Germanic origin.
Idioms
See shape in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee shape in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishshape up or ship out
- (informal) used to tell somebody that if they do not improve, work harder, etc. they will have to leave their job, position, etc.
- He finally faced up to his drug problem when his band told him to shape up or ship out.
Check pronunciation:
shape