shuffling
shuffling — noun
1. the process of giving people or items new places within a group, often to change
the process of giving people or items new places within a group, often to change who does which job or where something belongs.
The cabinet reshuffle involved a shuffling of ministers among several government departments.
collocation: shuffling of ministers
After the shuffling of staff between branches, the new team in the downtown office hardly knew each other.
collocation: shuffling of staff
A shuffling of seats in the lecture hall made it hard for students to sit next to their friends.
The constant shuffling of schedules left the entire team unsure when the next meeting would be.
- reshuffle
specifically refers to changing the positions of people in an organisation, especially a government
- reorganisation
broader than shuffling; can refer to any structural change, not just moving items around
- rearrangement
focuses on the new order rather than the act of moving
- stability
a state where positions or arrangements remain unchanged
文法句型
a shuffling of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' plus a plural noun describing what is being moved (staff, ministers, schedules).
2. the action of mixing up a deck of playing cards randomly so that the order of th
the action of mixing up a deck of playing cards randomly so that the order of the cards becomes unknown before the next round of a game begins.
Nora watched the dealer's expert shuffling of the deck before the poker game began.
collocation: shuffling of the deck
A quick shuffling of the cards was all it took to start the next round.
Henry took his time with the shuffling, making sure every card was mixed in well.
William insisted on doing the shuffling himself because he did not trust the other players.
文法句型
do the shuffling
the shuffling of + noun
用法筆記
Used as an uncountable noun for the activity or process; 'do the shuffling' is a common collocation meaning to be the person who shuffles.
3. a function on music devices and apps that selects songs without following the pl
a function on music devices and apps that selects songs without following the playlist order, so each track comes up unexpectedly.
Ryo set his music player to shuffling so songs came up in a different order each time he ran.
put + device + on shuffling
The shuffling feature on the app let Roya discover older tracks she had not heard in months.
the shuffling feature
Gabriel enjoyed the shuffling setting on his phone while he jogged around the park.
When the shuffling option picked a jazz tune from the 1990s, everyone in the car started humming along.
- shuffle
the everyday noun form; 'put it on shuffle' is more common than 'shuffling' in casual speech
- sequential play
playing songs in the order they appear in the playlist
文法句型
put + noun + on shuffling
shuffling mode
the shuffling feature
用法筆記
Often used as a modifier before another noun (shuffling mode, shuffling feature, shuffling setting) or after 'on' ('put it on shuffling'). Can also appear as 'shuffle mode' in informal speech.
4. a slow, heavy gait where the feet drag across the surface rather than rising cle
a slow, heavy gait where the feet drag across the surface rather than rising clear of the ground between steps.
The old man's slow shuffling across the room made the family worry about how tired he looked.
shuffling across + place
Ingrid heard the shuffling of slippers on the floor as her grandfather came slowly to the door.
the shuffling of + clothing/footwear
A soft shuffling sound from behind the curtain made Kofi turn around to see who was there.
The guard's exhausted shuffling as he walked the corridor told everyone he had been on duty all night.
- stride
a long, confident step where the foot lifts off the ground
文法句型
hear the shuffling of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'of' to describe what is making the sound ('the shuffling of feet'), or as a modifier ('shuffling sound', 'shuffling walk').
shuffling — verb
- shufflingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- shufflings3rd person singular
- shufflinging-ing form
- shufflingedpast simple
1. to walk with your feet sliding against the ground, barely lifting them, often be
to walk with your feet sliding against the ground, barely lifting them, often because you are tired, old, or not wearing proper shoes.
After the long hike, Romi shuffled slowly toward the camp, too exhausted to lift her feet.
shuffle + adverb + toward + place
The elderly gentleman shuffled across the kitchen in his slippers to fetch his morning tea.
shuffle across + place in + clothing
Tired students shuffled into the exam hall, looking nervous and barely prepared.
Minh shuffled through the airport terminal, dragging a heavy suitcase behind.
- stride
walk with long, confident steps, lifting the feet clearly
文法句型
shuffle + preposition phrase (across / along / into)
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person who is exhausted, elderly, or moving reluctantly. Directional prepositions (across, along, into, through, toward) almost always follow.
常見錯誤
2. to shift your feet or body position repeatedly in one spot, often because of ner
to shift your feet or body position repeatedly in one spot, often because of nervousness, embarrassment, or boredom, without actually moving away.
Ryo shuffled his feet nervously while waiting outside the interview room.
shuffle + possessive + feet — transitive, body part as object
Sitting on the hard chair, Kabir shuffled uncomfortably, trying to find a better position without drawing attention.
shuffle as intransitive verb with adverb
Nora shuffled in her seat when the teacher asked a question she could not answer.
The children shuffled their feet on the floor throughout the long, boring ceremony.
- sit still
remain motionless and calm
文法句型
shuffle + possessive + feet / body
shuffle in + place (seat / chair)
用法筆記
The transitive form (shuffle your feet / body) is more common than the bare intransitive. The intransitive form needs a prepositional phrase or adverb (shuffle in your seat, shuffle uncomfortably).
3. to move papers, documents, or other items around on a desk without actually doin
to move papers, documents, or other items around on a desk without actually doing useful work, usually to appear busy when someone in authority is nearby.
Instead of doing real work, the intern shuffled papers on her desk every time the manager walked past.
shuffle + object + on + place — typical workplace scenario
The clerk shuffled the same stack of reports from one pile to another all afternoon.
shuffle from + place + to + place
Kofi shuffled through the files without reading any of them, just to look occupied.
When the boss entered the room, Antonia quickly shuffled the papers on her desk and picked up a pen.
文法句型
shuffle + noun (papers / documents / files)
用法筆記
Almost always used transitively with papers, documents, or files as the object. The connotation is that the action is deceptive — the person is trying to create an impression of being busy.
4. to mix up a deck of playing cards thoroughly so that the cards come out in a ran
to mix up a deck of playing cards thoroughly so that the cards come out in a random order before a game or round begins.
Roya shuffled the deck carefully before dealing the first hand of the evening.
shuffle + object + adverb
Henry shuffled the cards three times to make sure no one could predict which card would come next.
The dealer shuffled the cards quickly, then spread them across the table for the players to cut.
Nora watched her brother shuffle the deck, still learning how to do it smoothly without dropping any cards.
- mix
more general; 'mix the cards' is less common than 'shuffle the cards' in card-game contexts
文法句型
shuffle + noun (cards / deck)
用法筆記
The direct object is almost always 'the cards' or 'the deck'. In card games, 'shuffle' is followed by 'cut' — someone shuffles and another player cuts the deck.