wegduwen

Wegduwen is a Dutch verb meaning to push someone or something away or aside. The action can be physical, such as moving a person out of the way, or figurative, such as dismissing or sidelining a suggestion or argument. The term is formed by the verb duwen (to push) with the prefix weg (away).

Wegduwen is a separable verb. In the present tense, the prefix is often placed after the object or at the end of the clause: Hij duwt hem weg. In the perfect tense, the past participle is weggeduwd, as in Hij heeft hem weggeduwd. The separable prefix may also appear split in subordinate clauses or with certain modal constructions.

Common uses include navigating crowded spaces, where someone might wegduwen another to pass through, or in sports, where a player might wegduwen an opponent. Figuratively, wegduwen is used to describe rejecting or suppressing an idea or proposal, for example in a meeting or debate: Een voorstel werd weggewoven uit de discussie (amer, the figurative usage is more common as weggeduwd or weggezet).

Nuances and alternatives: wegduwen conveys a stronger, more forceful action than simply opzij duwen (to push aside) and can carry negative or aggressive connotations depending on context. Related terms include stoten (to shove) and duwen (to push) in more neutral uses.

See also: duwen, stoten, opzijduwen.