SHUN Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'shun' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shun are avoid , elude , escape , eschew , and evade . While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence. // you have shunned your responsibilities

Q: Where would 'avoid' be a reasonable alternative to 'shun'?

In some situations, the words avoid and shun are roughly equivalent. However, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty. // try to avoid past errors

Q: When can 'elude' be used instead of 'shun'?

While the synonyms elude and shun are close in meaning, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes. // what she sees in him eludes me

Q: When is 'escape' a more appropriate choice than 'shun'?

The synonyms escape and shun are sometimes interchangeable, but escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent. // nothing escapes her sharp eyes

Q: When might 'eschew' be a better fit than 'shun'?

While in some cases nearly identical to shun , eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful. // a playwright who eschews melodrama

Q: In what contexts can 'evade' take the place of 'shun'?

Although the words evade and shun have much in common, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding. // evaded the question by changing the subject

shun

verb

ˈshən

Definition of shun next

as in to avoid

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery just a ruse to shun the debt collectors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the verb shun contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shun are avoid, elude, escape, eschew, and evade. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

Where would avoid be a reasonable alternative to shun?

In some situations, the words avoid and shun are roughly equivalent. However, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When can elude be used instead of shun?

While the synonyms elude and shun are close in meaning, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is escape a more appropriate choice than shun?

The synonyms escape and shun are sometimes interchangeable, but escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

When might eschew be a better fit than shun?

While in some cases nearly identical to shun, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

In what contexts can evade take the place of shun?

Although the words evade and shun have much in common, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

Examples Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of shun Once shunned by his fellow Arab autocrats, Bashar al-Assad was gradually regaining the dubious respectability Arab regimes afford one another. —

Ben Wedeman, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024 Yet to those who would seek to stay out of that arena and above the fray, just consider how well, under admittedly different circumstances, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times’ billionaire owners have fared by shunning endorsements to escape the ire of Trump and his loyalists. —

Brian Lowry, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024 In another, Jean is quietly, but forcefully shunned from worshiping in her church. —

Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024 My mum grew up near here, but this part of Mombasa remains a mystery—to me, most tourists, and many residents—shunned in favor of the mainland's leafier Nyali neighborhood or the unending beaches of Bamburi further down the road. —

Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shun

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shun

Verb

Now, unidentified drones are flying over New Jersey, avoiding radar detection.

Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
The bottom line is that these are common mistakes in the business grant application process that can easily be avoided.

Melissa Houston, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024