Synonyms of shed

shed 1 of 2

verb

ˈshed 

1

as in to peel

to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside

a snake's skin doesn't grow as the snake does, so every so often the snake will shed its old skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

• peel
• ditch
• discard
• slough
• slip
• molt
• sluff
• exfoliate
• scrap
• unload
• scale
• flake
• jettison
• chuck
• throw away
• throw out
• fling (off or away)
• junk
• shuck (off)

2

as in to unload

to get rid of as useless or unwanted

you need to shed your old notions of propriety and have some fun for a change

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unload
• dump
• ditch
• discard
• lose
• scrap
• abandon
• exorcize
• jettison
• chuck
• remove
• exorcise
• reject
• toss
• throw away
• junk
• set aside
• cast (off)
• eliminate
• slough (off)
• throw out
• lay by
• shuck (off)
• fling (off or away)
• dispose of
• sluff (off)
• deep-six
• dismiss
• forsake
• cashier
• eighty-six
• eradicate
• abdicate
• abolish
• 86
• kick out
• pitch
• desert
• wipe out
• extinguish
• expunge
• exterminate
• extirpate
• annihilate
• liquidate
• stamp (out)
• root (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adopt
• use
• embrace
• take on
• utilize
• employ
• hold
• keep
• retain
• hold back

shed

2 of 2

noun

as in hut

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hut
• shack
• lean-to
• hovel
• cottage
• shanty
• camp
• cabin
• hootch
• cot
• hutch
• hooch
• bungalow
• lodge
• cabana
• tent
• chalet
• hutment
• wigwam
• wickiup
• hogan

Synonym Chooser

How is the word shed different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of shed are cast, discard, junk, scrap, and slough. While all these words mean "to get rid of," shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit

finally sloughed off the depression

When would cast be a good substitute for shed?

Although the words cast and shed have much in common, cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

When is it sensible to use discard instead of shed?

While the synonyms discard and shed are close in meaning, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How do scrap and junk relate to one another, in the sense of shed?

Both scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways

would junk our educational system

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shed

Verb

Additional details have surfaced concerning the recent WWE release of former Universal Champion Braun Strowman, shedding more light on the company's decision. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025

In Huckleberry Finn, what appears to be romantic nostalgia is in fact the death of the romantic instinct and shedding of defunct fantasies. —Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025

Noun

Suncast Resin Vertical Tool Shed $623 $346 at Wayfair Unlike other outdoor storage solutions that are made of clunky wood or metal, this shed is an aesthetically pleasing alternative that won’t be an eyesore. —Ali Faccenda, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025

While moving the shed and excavating the ground beneath it April 9, authorities found human remains buried under the building that were partially encased in concrete. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025