shirk

American  

[shurk] / ʃɜrk /

verb (used with object)

shirks, present (3rd person singular) shirked, past participle, past shirking present participle

1. to evade (work, duty, responsibility, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   dodge, avoid, shun

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verb (used without object)

shirks, present (3rd person singular) shirked, past participle, past shirking present participle

1. to evade work, duty, etc.

noun

1. a shirker.

shirk ¹ British  

/ ʃɪːk /

noun

1. Islam

   1. the fundamental sin of regarding anything as equal to Allah

   2. any belief that is considered to be in opposition to Allah and Islam

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shirk ² British  

/ ʃɜːk /

verb

1. to avoid discharging (work, a duty, etc); evade

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noun

1. a person who shirks

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unshirking
  adjective
• unshirked
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have shirked
  perfect
• has shirked
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has been shirking
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are shirking
  progressive
• am shirking
  progressive 1st person singular
• is shirking
  progressive 3rd person singular
• shirking
  participle
• have been shirking
  perfect progressive
• shirks
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had shirked
  perfect
• had been shirking
  perfect progressive
• were shirking
  progressive plural
• was shirking
  progressive singular
• shirked
  simple
• shirked
  participle

Future

• will shirk
  simple
• will have shirked
  perfect
• will be shirking
  progressive
• will have been shirking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of shirk

First recorded in 1625–35; obscurely akin to shark ²

Explanation

To shirk your responsibilities is to avoid dealing with them — like when you watch four consecutive hours of infomercials instead of facing your homework. A verb is an action word, so it's ironic that the verb shirk suggests inaction in the avoidance of work. To shirk carries with it a negative connotation of laziness. When Eleanor Roosevelt was asked how she conquered her shyness to become a powerful public figure, she responded, "I faced each problem as it came along. . . . I never tried to shirk. I tried never to evade an issue. When I found I had something to do — I just did it." Ah, Eleanor, why can't we all be a bit more like you?

Example Sentences

Shirk at UC San Diego said it’s risky for American politicians to engage with Chinese officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2023

In the past, the Chinese government “could adapt flexibly to a problem. They put economic development first,” Ms. Shirk said.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2023

"In the past, we could always count on China's leaders to be pragmatic about economic policy, and prudent in their foreign policy. We don't see that now," Ms Shirk says.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2022

In a recently published book, Shirk argues that Xi’s centralized power and top-down pressure on officials pushes cadres toward overenthusiastic praise and over-compliance with Xi’s objectives, which can lead to policy mistakes.

From Washington Post • Oct. 16, 2022

Shirk, shėrk, v.t. to avoid, get off or slink away from.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various