verb
Common
shanghai
shang-HEYE
Shanghai (verb) means to trick or force someone into doing something, or going somewhere, against their will. Example: “I got shanghaied into helping my cousin move house last weekend.”
verb
1
To trick or force someone into doing something, or going somewhere, against their will.
"I got shanghaied into helping my cousin move house last weekend."
"He felt shanghaied into chairing the committee after skipping just one meeting."
"Sailors were once shanghaied — drugged or tricked aboard ships that badly needed crew."
2
To seize or take over something, often improperly.
"My brother shanghaied the sofa and left no room for anyone else."
"The older children shanghaied the swings, so the little ones had to wait."
"The new manager shanghaied the best desk in the office on her first day."
How to use shanghai
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo pressure or trick someone into an unwanted task or journey — from the old practice of forcing sailors onto ships.
Common mistake
Lowercase "shanghai" is the verb; capitalized "Shanghai" is only the city.
Common pairings
shanghaied into doing something
shanghai a sailor
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Word forms
- Plural
- shanghais
- Third person singular
- shanghais
- Past tense
- shanghaied, shanghai'd
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
I got _____ into helping my cousin move house last weekend.
Etymology
From the Chinese port city of Shanghai; the verb arose around 1871 from the practice of press-ganging men onto ships bound for long Pacific voyages.
Class of 1871
shanghai joined the language around 1871.
See the full Class of 1871 →
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for shanghai
See all rhymes for shanghai →Frequently asked questions
What does “shanghai” mean?
The word “shanghai” means to trick or force someone into doing something, or going somewhere, against their will. In plain terms, to pressure or trick someone into an unwanted task or journey — from the old practice of forcing sailors onto ships.
How do you pronounce “shanghai”?
“Shanghai” is pronounced shang-HEYE (/ˈʃæŋ.haɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “shanghai” in a sentence?
Here is “shanghai” used in a sentence: “He felt shanghaied into chairing the committee after skipping just one meeting.”
What part of speech is “shanghai”?
“Shanghai” is a verb.
Where does the word “shanghai” come from?
The word “shanghai” dates back to around 1871 and comes from Chinese. From the Chinese port city of Shanghai; the verb arose around 1871 from the practice of press-ganging men onto ships bound for long Pacific voyages.
Is “shanghai” a common word?
“Shanghai” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “shanghai” have?
“Shanghai” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to trick or force someone into doing something, or going somewhere, against their will.
Where does the verb shanghai come from?
The verb comes from the 19th-century practice of tricking or drugging men and forcing them to serve as sailors, often on long voyages to Asian ports such as Shanghai. From that literal kidnapping, shanghai broadened to mean tricking or pressuring anyone into something against their will.
Is shanghai capitalised when used as a verb?
No. As a verb meaning to trick or force someone into something, shanghai is written in lower case: "We were shanghaied into helping." The capital letter is reserved for the Chinese city the verb derives from.
What are the past tense and -ing forms of shanghai?
The past tense is shanghaied and the present participle is shanghaiing: "They shanghaied him into the job." Shanghaiing is one of the few English words spelled with a double i.
What is the difference between shanghai and kidnap?
Kidnap means to take a person away illegally by force, and it names a serious crime. Shanghai is informal and usually figurative in modern use: it means to trick or pressure someone into doing something or going somewhere, as in being shanghaied into joining a committee.
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