shun

¹

[ shuhn ]

verb (used with object)

, shunned, shun·ning.

1. to keep away from (a place, person, object, etc.), from motives of dislike, caution, etc.; take pains to avoid.

   Synonyms: eschew, evade

   Antonyms: seek

Shun

²

[ shoon ]

noun

, Wade-Giles, Pinyin.

1. Yao1

shun

¹

/ ʃʌn /

verb

1. tr to avoid deliberately; keep away from

'shun

²

/ ʃʌn /

interjection

1. See attention
   military a clipped form of attention

Derived Forms

• ˈshunner, noun
• ˈshunnable, adjective

Other Words From

• shun·na·ble adjective
• shun·ner noun
• un·shun·na·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shun¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English shunen, Old English scunian “to avoid, fear”

Word History and Origins

Origin of shun¹

Old English scunian, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

It’s not illegal in the Kingdom anymore, but it’s still shunned and disgraced by the society as a whole, and even as a middle schooler I understood that.

From Washington Blade

Stridently independent, she shunned the industry in the face of systemic apathy toward a blind woman whose music defied all norms of the time.

From Washington Post

She had to sort through precisely what to call herself because she didn’t want to offend someone by shunning a description or offend someone else by claiming a particular biography that wasn’t hers.

From Washington Post

Its own technical staff continues to pressure the company to embrace environmental policies it has so far shunned.

From Washington Post

Before you shun him, Miss Manners recommends that you proceed as though it were the latter.

From Washington Post

The dish was a massive hit, and Shun Lee Palace subsequently received a four-star review in The New York Times.

From The Daily Beast

Around that time, in 1972, Chinese-American restaurateur Michael Tong opened Shun Lee Palace on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

From The Daily Beast

She was personally against abortion, but she did not shun those who were pro-choice.

From The Daily Beast

He was a rarity in a country where the superrich shun publicity or pretend they are like everyone else.

From The Daily Beast

Batista also is a rarity in a country where the superrich shun publicity or pretend they are like everyone else.

From The Daily Beast

But in saying life, it must not be thought that gaiety is implied; none could shun that as Lady Hartledon now seemed to shun it.

From Project Gutenberg

I went to live with a very ungodly family, but that sense of right and wrong within me made me shun and despise their evil ways.

From Project Gutenberg

Teach your children, according to their ability to comprehend, all that they should know to be able to shun evil.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a spell in the shyness, which made her avoid and shun all admiring approaches to acquaintance.

From Project Gutenberg

Yaou's son Shun was an equally remarkable man, wise and accomplished, who lived only to advance the happiness of his subjects.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• despise
• disdain
• eschew
• neglect
• pass up
• refuse
• reject
• scorn
• snub