shut-in

1 of 3

noun

1
: a person who is confined to home, a room, or bed because of illness or incapacity
2
: a narrow gorge-shaped part of an otherwise wide valley
3
: available oil or gas which is not being produced from an existing well

shut-in

2 of 3

adjective

1
: confined to one's home or an institution by illness or incapacity
2
a
: secretive, brooding
a bitter, shut-in faceClaudia Cassidy
b
: tending to avoid social contact : withdrawn
the shut-in personality typeS. K. Weinberg

shut in

3 of 3

verb

shut in; shutting in; shuts in

transitive verb

1
2
: to prevent production of (oil or gas) by closing down a well

Examples of shut-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The filmmaker hatched the project before the COVID-19 pandemic, but somehow failed to consider that audiences have had their fill of claustrophobic shut-in stories. Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2024 Advertisement Arlo, though, is absent and presumed dead, and Naoise’s mom (Simone Kirby) has become a shut-in. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Adjective
When Darren Aronofsky’s film received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, star Brendan Fraser shot to the top of the Best Actor rankings for his performance as a 600-pound shut-in. Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023
Verb
Many restaurants and other businesses are shut in the coastal city of Haifa, and there are fewer people on the streets. Melanie Lidman, TIME, 25 Sep. 2024 More than 730,000 barrels per day of oil in the Gulf of Mexico is currently shut in, according to a Thursday update from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shut-in 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shut-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shut-in was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near shut-in

Cite this Entry

“Shut-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shut-in. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

shut-in

noun
ˈshət-ˌin
: a sick person unable to go outdoors

Medical Definition

shut-in

1 of 2 noun
: a person who is confined to home, a room, or bed because of illness or incapacity

shut-in

2 of 2 adjective
1
: confined to one's home or an institution by illness or incapacity
2
: tending to avoid social contact : withdrawn
diagnostic and prognostic significance of the shut-in personality typeS. K. Weinberg

More from Merriam-Webster on shut-in

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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