shunned; shunning

transitive verb

: to avoid deliberately and especially habitually
shuns publicity
shunner noun
Choose the Right Synonym for shun

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.

escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

Examples of shun in a Sentence

He shuns parties and social events. After his divorce he found himself being shunned by many of his former friends.
Recent Examples on the Web Hundreds of branches at rival banks are being closed each year, and customers are shunning the teller and choosing the mobile app. David Benoit, WSJ, 13 Mar. 2024 That’s why Gen Z is shunning typical nine-to-five jobs in favor of freelance roles, self-employment, and side hustles. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 28 Feb. 2024 Many of its members — designers, hair and makeup artists, stylists, photographers — grew up as outcasts of one kind or another, shunned in their hometowns for being too gay, too outré, too strange, too other. Hanya Yanagihara, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in Nov. 2022, the design expert revealed that being teased as a child led her to shun her roots for years. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 Las Vegas hosted the NFL Draft in 2022 and concerns about legal gambling at an NFL venue are now embraced instead of shunned. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 In the years before and during World War II, Jewish immigrants fleeing European antisemitism and shunned elsewhere in the U.S. were welcomed into Black neighborhoods. Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 Overseas car manufacturers will likely shun Huawei given U.S. sanctions on the company. Mary Hui, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 The top ski rentals from Aspen to the French Alps now shun formality. Tom Weijand, Robb Report, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English shonen, shunnen, from Old English scunian

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shun was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shun

Cite this Entry

“Shun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shun. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shun

verb
shunned; shunning
: to avoid purposely or by habit
shunned her former friends
shunner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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