shun
1 Americanverb (used with object)
noun
interjection
verb
Other Word Forms
- shunnable adjective
- shunner noun
- unshunnable adjective
Etymology
Origin of shun
First recorded before 950; Middle English shunen, Old English scunian “to avoid, fear”
Explanation
If you purposely stay away from someone, you shun that person. A sensitive baker may ask why you are shunning her cookies. Although the verb shun means to deliberately avoid anything, it has a specific meaning in certain groups and communities. In this case, it means to ostracize or expel from that group or community. The Amish, for example, may shun members of their order who repeatedly ignore the beliefs and rules of Amish society. The word may also be used in more casual group settings. After many attempts at being polite, you and your friends began to shun the obnoxious classmate who never let you get a word in edgewise.
Vocabulary lists containing shun
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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Persepolis
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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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.
“This is kind of normal operating procedure. When people get very heady, there’s a speculative tone to the markets. People forget about dividends,” and shun them in the belief they can’t grow, he said.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026
But even while Charlie longs to recross the wine dark sea to America, he ought to take solace in Homer’s words: “No man or woman born, coward or brave, can shun his destiny.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
Parrott may never be able to shun the spotlight again.
From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025
Unless your mom’s budget-conscious philosophy of making everything from scratch led her to shun most pre-fab meals, as mine did.
From Salon • Oct. 25, 2025
“How do you explain your grades? It’s unlikely anyone is helping you. You’re brand-new, and other students naturally shun new kids, so they wouldn’t be helping you.”
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
