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

As in the United States and other countries, many in South Korea are shunning traditional news sources. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Wallen, one of country's biggest names, was temporarily shunned from the business in 2021 when he was caught on video shouting a racial slur outside his Tennessee home after a night of partying in Nashville. —Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024

Enslaved people in Haiti overthrew brutal French colonial rule and founded the world’s first free Black republic in 1804, only to be shunned by the international community for decades. —Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024

The far right now represents significant parts of the opposition in France and Germany, forcing the question of how much longer it can be shunned. —Claire Moses, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024

While much of the Potter fandom have shunned the author, Warner Bros. retained Rowling as executive producer for the upcoming Harry Potter TV series. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024

During Kahane’s single legislative term, the entire Israeli political establishment shunned him. —Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024

Stars collectively shunned the show, and NBC yanked it off the air for a year, leaving its future in doubt. —Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024

The protagonist, John Merrick, an Englishman who lived in the Victorian era, had a disease that caused unusual and debilitating growths on his body and his head, and, as a result he was mocked and shunned, treated as a curiosity, and put on display in a circus. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 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