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
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.
Corbyn and his allies are now clearly shunning her. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025 She is known to shun socializing and drinking with her peers. Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025 Netanyahu once shunned long wars and ground operations, aware of the cost and political capital that resulted in indecisive conclusions or stalemates. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025 Central banks around the world — including the Federal Reserve — could soon become big buyers of bitcoin, after historically shunning the cryptocurrency, according to the Deutsche Bank Research Institute. Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shun

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shun. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!