shrug

1 of 2

verb

ˈshrəg 

 especially Southern  ˈsrəg

shrugged; shrugging

intransitive verb

: to raise or draw in the shoulders especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty

transitive verb

: to lift or contract (the shoulders) especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty

shrug

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of shrugging

2

: a woman's small waist-length or shorter jacket

Examples of shrug in a Sentence

Verb

I asked if he wanted to go out to dinner, and he just shrugged.

He just shrugged his shoulders.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Instead of jumping up and down or pumping his fist in the air, Dahmen simply shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing to see. —Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025

Republicans in both the House and the Senate have shrugged as Mr. Trump has trampled on Congress’s authority and constitutional status as a check on his power. —Annie Karni, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

Noun

Vonn wrote Monday on X with a shrug emoji, before deleting her post and adding another. —Andrew Dampf, The Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2025

At the National Board of Review Gala in New York City, Elle Fanning was the perfect match to Alessandro Michele’s Valentino: The A Complete Unknown star dazzled in his pastel chiffon gown and faux fur shrug, the perfect reflection of her sugary-sweet style. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English schruggen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shrug

• shrug off

Rhymes for shrug

• chug
• doug
• drug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• lug
• mug
• plug
• pug
• rug
• rugg

Kids Definition

shrug

verb

ˈshrəg

shrugged; shrugging

: to draw or hunch up the shoulders usually to express doubt, uncertainty, or lack of interest

shrug noun