shun

¹

[shuhn]

verb (used with object)

shunned, shunning 

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 /

interjection

1. military a clipped form of attention

shun

²

/ ʃʌn /

verb

1. (tr) to avoid deliberately; keep away from

Other Word Forms

• shunnable adjective
• shunner noun
• unshunnable 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

"The only thing that gets you shunned in New York society is poverty."

Read more on BBC

But one day a close friend upbraided me for shunning Black Friday, insisting that such antisocial tightfistedness was inherently un-American.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

According to people who knew Doyle, he shunned drugs and alcohol, was heavily into running and cycling and was well-liked by his neighbours - stopping for chats as he walked his dog around the estate.

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It said that its earnings have been protected by gains in chicken, which has attracted shoppers shunning beef.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Critics have shunned the contracts for blurring the line between investing and gambling.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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