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:
But when Kore-eda’s execution isn’t as assured, as is the case with his latest, all that delicacy simply floats off into the ether, rarely amounting to much more than a halfhearted shrug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
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
I shrug, making the outline of Dorothy Dingle’s head extra thick.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
"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
Asked whether he’s surprised to find himself still playing in a punk band in his mid-60s, Ness shrugs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
On an analyst call, Boulanger shrugs off concerns that AI volatility could affect its M&A strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Nurse Finnegan shrugs and carefully plucks a Cheeto out of my bag and pops it in her mouth.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Sudeikis shrugged, and, in classic Ted Lasso style, told her he thought she could do it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Shares of Foxconn have rebounded from a first-quarter slump as investors shrugged off geopolitical uncertainties and focused on soaring demand for AI hardware, driven by hyperscalers’ massive investments in recent months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Nakagawa has shrugged off his sceptics and said engineers must build new products that benefit from MPC.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Executives at the established wireless providers have generally shrugged off the Starlink threat.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
He was quiet for a moment, then shrugged off his mood with ease, the way one might shrug off a coat upon coming indoors.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
They’re getting every team’s best shot, as they knew they would, and they’re ... shrugging.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Hegseth, though, is shrugging off the concerns, telling reporters the issue is “completely misrepresented” and that the service members have “everything we can provide them at every single moment.”
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
SpaceX’s bankers have been shrugging off external events and remain confident its IPO will proceed as planned, people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
For Microsoft, crossing this milestone could indicate that the stock is shrugging off AI fears.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
Smiling, shrugging, the villagers shook their heads apologetically.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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.
