What does dislodge mean?
"Dislodge" is a verb meaning to force something out of the position it occupies, especially when that thing is firmly stuck, embedded, or settled. You might dislodge a stone from a wall, dislodge food caught between your teeth, or — figuratively — dislodge a stubborn idea from someone's mind. The word carries a strong implication of resistance and effort: whatever is being dislodged did not come away easily. It can apply equally to physical objects and to people; armies dislodge enemy troops from strongholds, and reformers may seek to dislodge entrenched officials from power. Derived from "lodge" with the negative prefix "dis-", the term entered English in the early seventeenth century. Its related nouns are "dislodgement" and "dislodgment", though these appear far less often than the verb itself. Versatile and vivid, "dislodge" is especially useful when ordinary removal words like "remove" fail to convey the sense of prying something loose from a firm hold.
verbTo force or knock something out of the position or place it has been fixed or lodged in; also, to drive someone out of a settled position, home, or stronghold.
- (transitive) To remove or force out of a position or place that is firmly occupied or stuck: to dislodge a stone from a wall.
- (transitive) To drive out of a settled or established place, home, or position: to dislodge enemy troops from a hilltop.
- (intransitive) To become free or removed from a fixed position: the bolt finally dislodged.
"Rescuers worked for hours to dislodge the boulder blocking the tunnel entrance."
"She coughed hard to dislodge the piece of bread stuck in her throat."
"After weeks of heavy rain, the old signpost finally dislodged and fell into the stream."
The word "dislodge" literally means to kick someone out of their lodging — it's an eviction you can feel in the spelling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dislodge
"Dislodge" formed in English during the early seventeenth century by adding the prefix "dis-" (indicating removal or reversal) to "lodge", which itself came via Old French "logier" from a late medieval Latin root associated with placing or sheltering. The verb thus originally carried the concrete sense of driving someone from their lodging or quarters before broadening to any forced removal from a fixed position. Its closest relatives are simply the other derivatives of "lodge" itself, such as "lodger" and "lodging".
Related word forms
How dislodge is actually used
"Dislodge" is standard in both formal and everyday register. It often implies effort or resistance — whatever is being dislodged was firmly in place. The noun forms "dislodgement" and "dislodgment" exist but are relatively uncommon; British English tends toward "-ement", American English toward "-ment".
Easily confused with dislodge
"Dislocate" means to put something out of its usual place, especially to displace a joint in the body, while "dislodge" means to force something out of where it is stuck or lodged.