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
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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:
It is a bittersweet end but part of the season, the book suggests with a good-natured shrug.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Allman, for his part, was quick to shrug off the backlash, noting that it is only natural for his wife’s fans to seek out someone or something to blame for her exit.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
“I think the general investor reaction is sort of a shrug when they see a new regulatory risk,” Walmsley added.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
This helps explain why he can’t disregard her criticism the way any normal person might shrug off slights from someone they don’t respect.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
"Maybe she got left back for not selling enough cookies," George said with a shrug.
From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene
She shrugs off Maddie getting faint at dance class because she threw up her lunch.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
He sends warships to distant waters—the intended object of the message shrugs.
From Slate ● Jun. 8, 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
The government shouldn’t be surprised, Steele added, if the flying public shrugs off its campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
Emma shrugs, and I squeeze her hand gratefully.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Nakagawa has shrugged off his sceptics and said engineers must build new products that benefit from MPC.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The move is intended to create penalties steep enough that they can’t be shrugged off as the “cost of doing business,” according to council documents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Strikers Thierno Barry and Beto had shrugged off early-season struggles to start scoring goals.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The two main pillars of the economy — consumer spending and business investment — appear to have shrugged off early angst arising from the conflict.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“We saved the Academy, but more importantly, we saved a lot of lives tonight. And”—he shrugged again—“that’s what we became Glitchers for—to protect the future. So it’s okay if they arrest us. It’s worth it.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
U.S. natural gas futures edged up, shrugging off the drop in oil and European gas prices and focusing on domestic weather and implications for cooling demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
“The gesture of the comedian shrugging his shoulders and being like, ‘I don’t know, folks,’ that’s what performing has always kind of felt like to me,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
It’s just a huge amount of money, and everybody’s sort of shrugging their shoulders.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
For Microsoft, crossing this milestone could indicate that the stock is shrugging off AI fears.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
She glanced at the nurse, shrugging her shoulders.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
