shun

verb

ˈshən 

shunned; shunning

transitive verb

: to avoid deliberately and especially habitually

shuns publicity

shunner noun

Synonyms

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

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

Having lost its mother during a traumatic birth, the cow Lucy had to be bottle-fed and was shunned by the herd. —R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Knightley said, before imitating her daughter shunning her from the dance floor at the disco. —Latoya Gayle, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024

While different religions and ancient cultures had described the planet as animate for eons, Lovelock’s contemporaries in the scientific community were more apt to shun this notion, preferring a Darwinian stance that species adapted to their environments, but not vice versa. —Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

Dear Abby: My miracle was all over social media, but my family is still shunning me Dear Smoked Out: As with today’s other letter, part of being a good neighbor is having an awareness of how one’s way of living affects everyone else. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English shonen, shunnen, from Old English scunian

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

shun

verb

ˈshən 

shunned; shunning

: to avoid purposely or by habit

shunned her former friends

shunner noun