shirk

[ shurk ]

See synonyms for: shirk shirking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

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

verb (used without object)

to evade work, duty, etc.

noun

a shirker.

Origin of shirk

First recorded in 1625–35; obscurely akin to shark²

Other words for shirk

1	shun, avoid, dodge

See synonyms for shirk on Thesaurus.com

Other words from shirk

un·shirked, adjective
un·shirk·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shirk in a sentence

“He did not trust his slaves and regularly complained that they shirked work, stole supplies, and broke tools,” writes Larson.
Washington’s Wheeler-Dealer Patriotism | William O’Connor | October 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
I shirked duty in pursuit of a good sleep, incurring her wrath this morning.
Is Sleeping Apart Good for Your Relationship? | Tim Teeman | August 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Beyer grew up in New York City, but she may have shirked any remnants of the accent after moving to Maryland.
It’s Trans vs. Gay in This Maryland Election | Gideon Resnick | June 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Over the past twenty years, in short, the state of Israel has shirked its responsibilities.
Seeing It For Myself: Injustice In The South Hebron Hills | Rachel Cohen | July 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
If he shirked the pain to-day, it would have to be faced to-morrow—that alone was clear in his breaking heart.
The Wave | Algernon Blackwood

Redbird thought, the Sauk were known far and wide as a people who never shirked the demands of honor.
Shaman | Robert Shea
In my fear and trembling I shirked everything, doing childishly and more than childishly.
The Yeoman Adventurer | George W. Gough
Stolen parties in the attics; suppers brought in clandestinely; lessons shirked!
A Very Naughty Girl | L. T. Meade
By that I mean, a world in which difficulties are to be fairly met—not shirked, set aside, or “got round.”
The Education of American Girls | Anna Callender Brackett

British Dictionary definitions for shirk (1 of 2)

shirk¹

/ (ʃɜːk) /

verb

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

nounAlso: shirker

a person who shirks

Origin of shirk

C17: probably from German Schurke rogue; see shark ²

British Dictionary definitions for shirk (2 of 2)

shirk²

/ (ʃɪːk) /

noun

Islam
- the fundamental sin of regarding anything as equal to Allah
- any belief that is considered to be in opposition to Allah and Islam

Origin of shirk

from Arabic: association

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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