shirk

verb

ˈshərk 

shirked; shirking; shirks

intransitive verb

1

: to go stealthily : sneak

2

: to evade the performance of an obligation

transitive verb

: avoid, evade

shirk one's duty

shirker noun

Synonyms

• avoid
• dodge
• duck
• elude
• escape
• eschew
• evade
• finesse
• get around
• scape
• shake
• shuffle (out of)
• shun
• weasel (out of)

Examples of shirk in a Sentence

He's too conscientious to shirk his duty.

He never shirked from doing his duty.

They did their duty without shirking or complaining.

Recent Examples on the Web

The move could create an opening to shirk support from the mayor's plan. —Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 12 Dec. 2024

Given the perils of the years ahead, now is not the time for the Trump administration to shirk that responsibility. —Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024

The Republican senator agrees that NATO nations must do more for their own defense, but says U.S. cannot shirk its duty to defend its allies. —John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

None of this is to say that universities should shirk from making tough decisions. —Dhruvak Mirani, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

shirk

verb

ˈshərk 

: to get out of doing especially what one ought to do

: avoid sense 3, evade

shirked their duty

shirker noun