shanghai verb (shanghais, shanghaiing, shanghaied) 1 historical Force (someone) to join a ship lacking a full crew by drugging them or using other underhand means: they specialized in drugging and robbing sailors, sometimes arranging for them to be shanghaied aboard tramp boats 1.1 informal Coerce or trick (someone) into a place or position or into doing something: Brady shanghaied her into his Jaguar and roared off