shrug

1 of 2

verb

ˈshrəg 

 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

Verb

Other insiders have sold off their holdings, but investors have shrugged that off. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2024

But baseball shrugged and Rose’s banishment from the game stood. —Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024

Noun

And what if a housing provider shrugs at the recommendation by the algorithm and makes a different choice? —Roger Valdez, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

For many users, the addition of the generative AI feature—presented as a sort of search box thingie—was met with either a shrug or annoyance. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing shrug

• shrug off

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