shunned; shunning

transitive verb

: to avoid deliberately and especially habitually
shuns publicity
shunner noun
Choose the Right Synonym for shun

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.

escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

Examples of shun in a Sentence

He shuns parties and social events. After his divorce he found himself being shunned by many of his former friends.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Throughout his career, the Canadian auteur has deliberately shunned big-budget features or mainstream Hollywood to make low-budget films out of French-speaking Quebec. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025 Achieving that level no matter how many times you could be shunned from a Grammy or whatever the f–k could happen. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2025 Of course, being canceled is a subjective term that might mean losing your job, getting shunned by your friends, or getting kicked off social media. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025 McCaskey shunned the spotlight and always considered matters concerning Bears ownership to be private, even though the team is dependent on public support. Don Pierson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for shun 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English shonen, shunnen, from Old English scunian

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shun was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shun

Cite this Entry

“Shun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shun. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

shun

verb
shunned; shunning
: to avoid purposely or by habit
shunned her former friends
shunner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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