shifting
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.changing often, especially in a way that makes something difficult to rely on.
adj.characterised by frequent change in position, direction, or nature; often implies instability or unreliability.
Simple“The desert is a dangerous place because of the shifting sands.”
In context“In the shifting political landscape of the late twentieth century, traditional alliances were frequently discarded in favour of pragmatic economic partnerships.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act of moving something from one place to another.
n.the process or act of changing the position or orientation of an object or concept.
Simple“The constant shifting of furniture in the apartment above kept me awake.”
In context“The gradual shifting of tectonic plates over millions of years resulted in the formation of the mountain range we see today.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.when parts of a sentence move to a different position than usual.
n.the phenomenon by which two or more constituents appearing on the same side of their common head exchange positions to obtain non-canonical order.
Simple“The professor explained how shifting affects the meaning of the sentence.”
In context“Heavy NP shifting allows long, complex noun phrases to move to the end of a clause, thereby improving the overall processing flow for the listener.”
Synonymsreorderingpermutation
“Stock traders were even less moved by the news, with the major indexes of the biggest companies listed in the US, Europe, and Asia barely shifting.”
“Others stressed that simply shifting the recycling costs to producers is not enough.”