shrug

1 of 2

verb

ˈshrəg How to pronounce shrug (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsrəg
shrugged; shrugging

intransitive verb

: to raise or draw in the shoulders especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty

transitive verb

: to lift or contract (the shoulders) especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty

shrug

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of shrugging
2
: a woman's small waist-length or shorter jacket

Examples of shrug in a Sentence

Verb I asked if he wanted to go out to dinner, and he just shrugged. He just shrugged his shoulders.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Asked if Phillips’ elbow injury might have been a byproduct of his offseason shoulder issue, Gomes shrugged. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025 During one sequence, Kim seemed to try to turn the exchange toward the topic of drugs, but Lee shrugged it off and appeared disinterested. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025
Noun
The initial weeks of first-quarter earnings season have brought the typical 70% rate of companies exceeding forecasts, along with a near-universal shrug of the shoulders by management in describing their outlook for the year. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025 But what shocked me is that three or four of my closest friends reacted with a shrug. R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for shrug

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English schruggen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrug was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shrug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrug. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

shrug

verb
ˈshrəg
shrugged; shrugging
: to draw or hunch up the shoulders usually to express doubt, uncertainty, or lack of interest
shrug noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shrug

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