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)
-
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
-
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:
Revisiting the movie through this lens offers plenty of important wisdom that its detractors were quick to shrug off.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
He was fairly expressionless throughout, aside from the occasional shrug of the shoulders or glance at his team.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Asked how exactly the group came together, Godrich and Harrison look at each other across a picnic table and shrug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Chip and memory stocks are trading higher as investors shrug off concerns about an AI slowdown.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
"Cats like me," Belet said with a shrug.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
That rings hollow if F1 shrugs off who it is partnering with.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
He shrugs off the reporter’s inquiries; his attitude says “stuff happens.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
“What y’all think?” she asks Fogg and Cockrell, both of whom respond with quiet shrugs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"Homer is 2,800 years old, while the Turkish-Greek border is only a century old," he shrugs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
He shrugs as if he hasn't really thought about it.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
“I don’t have an answer,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shrugged when asked why the Dodgers relievers have struggled while the Brewers have shined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
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
Yet the Norwegian never shrugged off claims he was not an elite coach.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Phillip shrugged off Jack’s hand and took a step toward the cottage.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
I remember writing about him being on “Saturday Night Live” and people shrugging it off, like, “Oh, it’s not that big of a deal.”
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 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
Read: Stocks keep shrugging off rising Treasury yields.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
They’re getting every team’s best shot, as they knew they would, and they’re ... shrugging.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
“I use it fer bindin’ on bandages an’ stuff if a creature gets injured,” said Hagrid, shrugging.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
