shirked; shirking; shirks

intransitive verb

1
: to go stealthily : sneak
2
: to evade the performance of an obligation

transitive verb

: avoid, evade
shirk one's duty
shirker noun

Examples of shirk in a Sentence

He's too conscientious to shirk his duty. He never shirked from doing his duty. They did their duty without shirking or complaining.
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.
The ultimate responsibility lies with his enablers: Republican senators who shirked their duty and voted to confirm Cabinet nominees who are outrageously unqualified. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025 MacKinnon is one player who hasn’t shirked his enthusiasm for this event. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025 The film necessarily presents a despairing view of America as its 20th-century glory days recede into the distance, but Schrader isn’t one to shirk away from some form of hope for his isolated priest. Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025 Today the site is a museum and rum distillery that doesn’t shirk from its past. Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shirk

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shirk was in 1681

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shirk. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

shirk

verb
: to get out of doing especially what one ought to do
: avoid sense 3, evade
shirked their duty
shirker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shirk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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