ENGLISH
REFERENCE

displace

v.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //dɪsˈpɫeɪs// UK //dɪsplˈeɪs// dis·place Academic

v. to force someone or something out of their usual place. In psychology, it means to direct your feelings toward a safe person instead of the person who actually upset you.

v. to move something from its proper or accustomed position. In a psychological context, it refers to the unconscious transfer of an intense emotion from its original object to a less threatening substitute.


SIMPLE

He tends to displace his anger toward his boss onto his family.

CONTEXTUAL

When employees feel powerless against management, they often displace their frustration by criticizing their colleagues over minor issues.

COMPLEX

The patient began to displace her deep-seated resentment for her father onto the therapist, a classic defensive maneuver intended to avoid the pain of direct confrontation.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle French desplacer (French: déplacer).

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

Pitfall

he displaced with his angerhe displaced his angerDisplace is a transitive verb; it must act directly on the emotion or object being moved without a preposition.

© 2026 English Reference