shrug
SHRUG
/ʃrʌɡ/
To raise one's shoulders slightly and momentarily to express doubt, ignorance, or indifference.
A quick, casual gesture that signals a lack of knowledge, care, or responsibility.
The story behind the word. The word comes from the Middle English 'shruggan', which meant 'to shudder' or 'to shiver'. Over the centuries, the full-body shudder of cold or fear simplified into the shoulder-raising gesture of indifference or uncertainty we use today.
Word relationships
- dismiss: Dismiss is a general term for rejecting an idea, while shrug is the specific physical gesture used to show dismissal.
- nod: A nod indicates agreement or certainty, whereas a shrug indicates doubt or indifference.
Commonly confused with
- shrug (noun) vs. shrug (verb): The noun refers to the physical gesture itself, while the verb refers to the action of performing it.
Word family
- shrugger (noun): A person who shrugs.
Collocations
- shrug shoulders
- shrug off
- indifferent shrug
Idioms & expressions
- shrug off (to dismiss something as unimportant)
Example sentences
- "When asked where he had left the car keys, Leo could only shrug and admit he had no idea." Answering a question without words.
Memory hook
Shrug off the shrub that brushed your shoulder. Shoulders up, answers down.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a full-body shudder or a movement of the arms alone.
Fun facts
- The shrug is one of the most widely recognized gestures in the world, transcending language barriers to communicate 'I don't know' across almost every continent.
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