DISPLACE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does displace mean? 

• DISPLACE (verb)
  The verb DISPLACE has 7 senses:

1. take the place of
2. force to move
3. move (people) forcibly from their homeland into a new and foreign environment
4. take the place of or have precedence over
5. cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
6. remove or force from a position of dwelling previously occupied
7. put out of its usual place, position, or relationship

  Familiarity information: DISPLACE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISPLACE (verb)

Sense 1

displace [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Take the place of

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "displace" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 2

displace [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Force to move

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

displace; force out

Context example:

the refugees were displaced by the war

Hypernyms (to "displace" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "displace"):

transfer; transplant (lift and reset in another soil or situation)

crowd out (press, force, or thrust out of a small space)

evacuate (move people from their homes or country)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 3

displace [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Move (people) forcibly from their homeland into a new and foreign environment

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

deracinate; uproot; displace

Context example:

The war uprooted many people

Hypernyms (to "displace" is one way to...):

place (assign to (a job or a home))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 4

displace [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Take the place of or have precedence over

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

preempt; displace

Context examples:

live broadcast of the presidential debate preempts the regular news hour / discussion of the emergency situation will preempt the lecture by the professor

Hypernyms (to "displace" is one way to...):

replace; supercede; supersede; supervene upon; supplant (take the place or move into the position of)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 5

displace [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

move; displace

Context examples:

Move those boxes into the corner, please / I'm moving my money to another bank / The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant

Cause:

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "displace"):

shift; transfer (move around)

displace; force out (force to move)

crowd; herd (cause to herd, drive, or crowd together)

circulate (cause to move in a circuit or system)

circulate; distribute; pass around; pass on (cause to be distributed)

drive out; force out; rouse; rout out (force or drive out)

drive (cause someone or something to move by driving)

race; rush (cause to move fast or to rush or race)

whoosh; woosh (move with a sibilant sound)

chase away; dispel; drive away; drive off; drive out; run off; turn back (force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings)

advance; bring forward (cause to move forward)

sink (cause to sink)

bowl over; knock over; overturn; tip over; tump over; turn over; upset (cause to overturn from an upright or normal position)

send; ship; transport (transport commercially)

direct; send (cause to go somewhere)

transport (move something or somebody around; usually over long distances)

saltate (move by saltation)

bring down; get down; let down; lower; take down (move something or somebody to a lower position)

lift; raise (move upwards)

bring up; elevate; get up; lift; raise (raise from a lower to a higher position)

drop (let fall to the ground)

pour (cause to run)

bring outside; exteriorize (bring outside the body for surgery, of organs)

upstage (move upstage, forcing the other actors to turn away from the audience)

rake (move through with or as if with a rake)

blow (cause to move by means of an air current)

drag (use a computer mouse to move icons on the screen and select commands from a menu)

draw; pull (cause to move in a certain direction by exerting a force upon, either physically or in an abstract sense)

lateralize (move or displace to one side so as to make lateral)

translate (subject to movement in which every part of the body moves parallel to and the same distance as every other point on the body)

hit; strike (drive something violently into a location)

change hands; change owners (be transferred to another owner)

transfer (move from one place to another)

wash (move by or as if by water)

hustle (cause to move furtively and hurriedly)

swing (move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting)

turn; turn over (cause to move around a center so as to show another side of)

turn (cause to move around or rotate)

turn (cause to move along an axis or into a new direction)

slide (move smoothly along a surface)

run (cause an animal to move fast)

whistle (move, send, or bring as if by whistling)

beat; flap (move with a thrashing motion)

singsong (move as if accompanied by a singsong)

expel; kick out; throw out (force to leave or move out)

play (cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space)

circulate; mobilise; mobilize (cause to move around)

disarrange (destroy the arrangement or order of)

boot out; chuck out; eject; exclude; expel; kick out; throw out; turf out; turn out (put out or expel from a place)

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

engage; lock; mesh; operate (keep engaged)

impel; propel (cause to move forward with force)

launch; set in motion (get going; give impetus to)

roll; twine; wind; wrap (wrap or coil around)

unroll; unwind; wind off (reverse the winding or twisting of)

force; squeeze; wedge (squeeze like a wedge into a tight space)

tug (move by pulling hard)

carry; transport (move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body)

relocate (move or establish in a new location)

dislocate; luxate; slip; splay (move out of position)

translate (change the position of (figures or bodies) in space without rotation)

base; place; post; send; station (assign to a station)

agitate; commove; disturb; raise up; shake up; stir up; vex (change the arrangement or position of)

channel; channelise; channelize; transfer; transmit; transport (send from one person or place to another)

funnel (move or pour through a funnel)

brandish; flourish; wave (move or swing back and forth)

draw; force; pull (cause to move by pulling)

work (move into or onto)

disgorge; shed; spill (cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or over)

slop; spill; splatter (cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container)

dandle (move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees)

revolve; roll (cause to move by turning over or in a circular manner of as if on an axis)

force; push (move with force,)

rock; sway (cause to move back and forth)

fluctuate (cause to fluctuate or move in a wavelike pattern)

pulse (drive by or as if by pulsation)

dislodge; reposition; shift (change place or direction)

glide (cause to move or pass silently, smoothly, or imperceptibly)

stir (move an implement through with a circular motion)

bump around; jar; shake up (shock physically)

scan (move a light beam over; in electronics, to reproduce an image)

pump (move up and down)

unseat (dislodge from one's seat, as from a horse)

disunite; divide; part; separate (force, take, or pull apart)

deracinate; extirpate; root out; uproot (pull up by or as if by the roots)

depress; press down (press down)

lift (take hold of something and move it to a different location)

flick; riffle; ruffle (twitch or flutter)

work (move in an agitated manner)

take back (move text to the previous line; in printing)

center; centre (move into the center)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 6

displace [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Remove or force from a position of dwelling previously occupied

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

dislodge; bump; displace

Context example:

The new employee dislodged her by moving into her office space

Hypernyms (to "displace" is one way to...):

boot out; chuck out; eject; exclude; expel; kick out; throw out; turf out; turn out (put out or expel from a place)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "displace"):

throw (cause to fall off)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 7

displace [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Put out of its usual place, position, or relationship

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

dislocate; displace

Context example:

The colonists displaced the natives

Hypernyms (to "displace" is one way to...):

resettle (settle in a new place)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody