shun

verb

ˈshən 

shunned; shunning

transitive verb

: to avoid deliberately and especially habitually

shuns publicity

shunner noun

Synonyms

• avoid
• dodge
• duck
• elude
• escape
• eschew
• evade
• finesse
• get around
• scape
• shake
• shirk
• shuffle (out of)
• weasel (out of)

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

Four-time All-Star Boston small forward Jaylen Brown, who went to the University of California at Berkeley, similarly shunned a Stanford jersey that had been snuck into the collection. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025

Old Trafford was shunned for England’s hosting of the 2028 UEFA European Championship, but the new stadium is likely to host similar major events such as the Champions League final. —Steve Price, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

This tradition was continued by the then-Prince Charles who maintained a regular letter-writing correspondence with President Trump, even when many shunned him once out of office. —Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2025

In recent months, Newsom has increasingly shunned responsibility for the situations, mostly by pointing the finger at local governments, saying many have failed to ease the way for more housing construction or to spend state homelessness appropriations effectively. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English shonen, shunnen, from Old English scunian

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shun

• bun
• done
• dun
• fun
• gun
• hun
• jun
• none
• nun
• one
• pun
• run

Kids Definition

shun

verb

ˈshən 

shunned; shunning

: to avoid purposely or by habit

shunned her former friends

shunner noun