Definition of SHUN

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

The book tells the unforgettable true story of Westover’s life growing up in rural Idaho as a daughter of survivalists, who prepared for the end of the world and shunned official entities like the government, hospitals, and schools. — Vox Staff, Vox, "The most thought-provoking books the Vox staff read in 2018," 21 Dec. 2018 Francis recommends following Jesus' Beatitudes, avoiding gossip, having a sense of humor, reaching out to our neighbors and shunning consumerism and too much technology. — Delia Gallagher, CNN, "Pope Francis says helping the poor and migrants is as important as opposing abortion," 9 Apr. 2018 Barrack played an integral role in the 2016 campaign as a top fund-raiser at a time when many other Republicans were shunning the upstart candidate. — Tom Lobianco, BostonGlobe.com, "Mueller team questions Trump confidant Tom Barrack," 6 May 2018 The entire wedding is under a social media shun for the weekend. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Everything We Know About Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's Wedding So Far," 10 Nov. 2018 This year, it has been reported that pro-Rousseff fans have shunned the yellow jerseys, in favor of the team’s blue change kit. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "'Brazil's Donald Trump': World Cup fate impacts far-right presidential candidate," 6 July 2018 Over a six-year period, Manser corresponded from remote Borneo with letters to a handful of friends and relatives in Switzerland but otherwise shunned contemporary life. — Erik Spanberg, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Last Wild Men of Borneo' is a real-life adventure tale about two expats in the jungle," 27 Mar. 2018 In certain circles, today’s San Francisco gets a bad rep, shunned for becoming a playground for tech company employees and relinquishing quirk in favor of sheen. — Asad Syrkett, Curbed, "Year in Curbed: The best of House Calls," 26 Dec. 2018 In the 1700s, simple poesy rings were popular in Europe, while in New England, Puritan men—shunning frivolous rings—were thought to have given thimbles to their betrothed (though women often cut off the tops and wore them as rings anyway). — Virginia Van Zanten, Vogue, "The Best Celebrity Engagement Rings of All Time," 6 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shun.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.