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shit

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈʃɪt// UK //ʃˈɪt// shit
  1. 1 waste (n.)
    C1 Advanced Vulgar Informal

    solid waste that comes out of the body.

    fecal matter or excrement. Highly vulgar in most social contexts.

    Example

    He stepped in some dog shit while walking through the park.

    Example

    The sanitation workers had to deal with raw shit leaking from the broken pipe in the basement.

    Usage

    Usually uncountable when referring to the substance.
  2. 2 stuff or things (n.)
    C1 Advanced Vulgar Slang Informal

    a collection of things, belongings, or activities.

    a collection of items, events, or personal belongings; often used to refer to one's life or situation generally.

    Example

    I need to go home and pack all my shit before the flight.

    Example

    She told him to get his shit together if he wanted to keep his job at the firm.

    Usage

    Uncountable; often used with possessives like 'my shit' or 'your shit'.
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  1. 3 nonsense or lies (n.)
    C1 Advanced Vulgar Slang Informal

    something that is not true or is of very poor quality.

    deceptive talk, nonsense, or worthless information.

    Example

    Don't believe him; he's just talking shit to make himself look good.

    Example

    The politician's speech was full of the same old shit that nobody believes anymore.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'don't give me that shit'.
  2. 4 trouble (n.)
    C1 Advanced Vulgar Slang Informal

    a difficult or dangerous situation.

    serious trouble or a predicament.

    Example

    If the boss finds out we lost the file, we are in deep shit.

    Example

    The company found itself in deep shit after the audit revealed years of unpaid taxes.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the phrase 'in deep shit'.
  3. 5 the best (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Vulgar Slang American English

    something that is excellent or the very best of its kind.

    the highest quality or most impressive example of something.

    Example

    You have to hear their new album; it is the shit.

    Example

    In the nineties, owning this specific model of car meant you were really the shit in this neighborhood.

    Usage

    Always used with the definite article 'the'.
    • the best
    • top tier
  4. 6 to excrete (v.)
    C1 Advanced Vulgar Informal

    to pass waste from the body.

    to defecate. Both transitive and intransitive uses are common.

    Example

    The cat shit on the rug again this morning.

    Example

    He was so scared during the ordeal that he nearly shit his pants.

    Usage

    The past tense can be 'shit', 'shat', or 'shitted'.
  5. 7 to tease or lie (v.)
    C1 Advanced Vulgar Slang Informal

    to try to trick or tease someone.

    to attempt to deceive or tease someone, often used in the progressive 'shitting'.

    Example

    Are you shitting me? There's no way you won the lottery.

    Example

    I thought he was shitting me when he said he was moving to Japan next week.

    Usage

    Usually used in the present continuous.
  6. 8 bad quality (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Vulgar Slang Informal

    very bad, broken, or of poor quality.

    of extremely poor quality; contemptible or unpleasant.

    Example

    This is a shit movie; let's watch something else.

    Example

    The weather was absolutely shit for the entire duration of our camping trip.

    Usage

    Can be used before a noun or after a linking verb.
Etymology 1

From Middle English schit, schyt, from Old English sċite (“dung”) and sċitte (“diarrhoea”), from Proto-West Germanic skiti and skittjā, from Proto-Germanic skitiz, from Proto-Indo-European *skeyd- (“to split, divide, separate”). Related to Saterland Frisian Skiete, West Frisian skyte, skyt, Dutch schijt, German Low German Schiet, German Scheiße, Danish skidt, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk skit, Norwegian Bokmål skitt, Icelandic skítur. Compare shite. Doublet of scheisse.

Etymology 2

From Middle English schiten, shiten, from Old English sċītan, from Proto-West Germanic skītan, from Proto-Germanic skītaną, from Proto-Indo-European skéydt, from skeyd-, skeh₁i-d (“to cut”) (compare skey-). Cognate with West Frisian skite, Low German schieten, Dutch schijten, German scheißen, Danish skide. More at shed.

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