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 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 Even today, many cultures shun romantic kissing, Arbøll and Rasmussen reported. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Gerry was shunned on the street and—especially hurtful—in the sailing club. Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 However, despite the policy’s aim to limit distractions, the litany of security officials constantly blinding entire sections with military grade flash lights all in an effort to shun phone users is far more distracting than any smartphone could ever be. Quentin Singer, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Throughout Navalny’s bold and dramatic political career, his wife stayed largely in the background, shunning the spotlight and deferring to her husband. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 By the same token, the state universities resisted efforts by the community colleges to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees in some fields that the CSU schools had shunned. Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 Is her public persona as someone who shuns the media spotlight part of a larger conversation about celebrity today? Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 7 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 19 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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