shrug
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word shrug. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word shrug, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say shrug in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word shrug you have here. The definition of the word shrug will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofshrug, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
A person wearing a shrug, highlighted in pink
English
Etymology
From Middle English schruggen, shrukken, probably of North Germanic origin related to Danish skrugge, skrukke (“to stoop; crouch”), Swedish skruga, skrukka (“to huddle; crouch”), all from or related to Old Norse skrykkva, from Proto-Germanic *skrinkwaną. Compare also Old English scrincan (“to shrink”). More at shrink.
Pronunciation
Noun
shrug (plural shrugs)
- A lifting of the shoulders to signal indifference or a casual lack of knowledge.
- He dismissed my comment with a shrug.
- A cropped, cardigan-like garment with short or long sleeves, typically knitted.
Translations
gesture
|
Verb
shrug (third-person singular simple present shrugs, present participle shrugging, simple past and past participle shrugged)
- (transitive, intransitive) To raise (the shoulders) to express uncertainty, lack of concern, (formerly) dread, etc.
- I asked him for an answer and he just shrugged.
- When he saw the problem, he just shrugged and started fixing it.
- 1712 January 13 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “WEDNESDAY, January 2, 1711–1712”, in The Spectator, number 264; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, , volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
- He […] shrugs his shoulders when you talk of securities.
Usage notes
The word "shrug" and "shrug one's shoulders" have the same meaning.
Derived terms
Translations
to raise the shoulders to express uncertainty, lack of concern, etc.