shrug
Americanverb (used with object)
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shrugs,
present (3rd person singular)
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shrugged,
past participle, past
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shrugging
present participle
verb (used without object)
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shrugs,
present (3rd person singular)
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shrugged,
past participle, past
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shrugging
present participle
noun
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shrugs
plural
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the movement of raising and contracting the shoulders.
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a short sweater or jacket that ends above or at the waistline.
verb phrase
verb
noun
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the gesture so made
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a woman's short jacket or close-fitting cardigan
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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shrugsimple
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shrugssimple
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have shruggedperfect
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has shruggedperfect
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am shruggingprogressive
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are shruggingprogressive
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is shruggingprogressive
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have been shruggingperfect progressive
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has been shruggingperfect progressive
Past
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shruggedsimple
-
had shruggedperfect
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was shruggingprogressive
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were shruggingprogressive
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had been shruggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shrug
1350–1400; (v.) Middle English schruggen to shudder, shrug < ?; (noun) late Middle English shrugge a tug, pull, derivative of the v.
Explanation
To shrug is to raise your shoulders slightly, often to show that you're unsure or indifferent, like when you don't know the answer to a question. A shrug is a gesture that can convey a lot without words. You might shrug if you're uncertain about the plans a friend is suggesting. You may also find yourself shrugging in response to a question that you don't know the answer to or one that you don't care enough about to answer. A shrug can suggest indifference to a person or situation that you might normally find stressful, showing that you have simply decided it's not worth getting worked up over.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Chip and memory stocks are trading higher as investors shrug off concerns about an AI slowdown.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
However, despite the move higher in Treasury yields, we have not seen a meaningful change in volatility, allowing stocks, for the most part, to shrug off the rise in rates.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
If you ask George Takei whether he ever thought he’d still be talking about “Star Trek” 60 years after its debut, he will respond with a smile and a shrug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The notion that a defeat would be met with a collective shrug by Rangers fans was never a serious proposition.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
She made a little shrug with her shoulders that reminded me of the girl in the photograph.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
"Homer is 2,800 years old, while the Turkish-Greek border is only a century old," he shrugs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
She shrugs off Maddie getting faint at dance class because she threw up her lunch.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
"The truth is, maybe I just fear the unknown," she shrugs.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
In her own matter-of-fact way, Grohl shrugs as she acknowledges the inescapable pressure of her last name.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
She shrugs a little, still not looking at me.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
But Mr. Market shrugged; Taiwanese stocks failed to generate a sustained rally as investors viewed the meeting as symbolic, with few economic consequences.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Some found it charming, some unbearable, but in the end everyone shrugged: Well, he’s the boss.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Jones later shrugged off the comment, saying Evans had just been "playing the game".
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Though Iran's leaders have shrugged off the tough talk, having already endured sanctions for decades, some residents of the capital feared that they would feel the pinch.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Jack just shrugged as casually as he could.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Treasury yields edge lower in Asian trade as their trade resumes after Monday’s Labor Day holiday, shrugging off a slight increase in oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Micron stock was shrugging off CXMT's claimed advance in smartphone memory but investors might want to spread their bets.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
“No,” Raman then said firmly before shrugging and letting the moderator move on to the next question.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
And see: Stocks keep shrugging off rising Treasury yields.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
She broke off, shrugging, and Dr. Payne answered it.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
