shun
SHUN
/ʃʌn/
To persistently avoid, ignore, or reject someone or something through antipathy or caution.
Implies a deliberate, active avoidance of a person, place, or behavior, often driven by moral disapproval or fear.
The story behind the word. Shun comes from the Old English word 'scunian', which meant to shrink back in fear, abhor, or flee. It has always carried a visceral, physical sense of recoiling from something dangerous, unclean, or morally corrupt.
Word relationships
- avoid: Avoid is a neutral term for staying away from something, while shun implies a strong moral rejection or deliberate social coldness.
- evade: Evade suggests using cleverness or trickery to escape something, whereas shun is a direct, open refusal to associate.
- seek: To seek is to actively look for or go toward, whereas shun is to actively avoid.
- embrace: To embrace is to welcome warmly and accept fully, the opposite of shunning.
Commonly confused with
- shunt: Shunt means to push or pull something to the side (like a train car), while shun means to avoid or reject.
Word family
- shunned (adjective): Actively avoided or rejected by others.
- shunning (noun): The act of deliberately avoiding or ignoring someone.
Collocations
- shun publicity
- shun society
- deliberately shunned
Example sentences
- "I resolved to shun the face of mankind; oh, that I had died with my sister!" From Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein.
- "He chose to shun modern technology, living in a remote cabin without electricity or internet." A description of a lifestyle choice.
Memory hook
When you 'shun' someone, you turn away and say 'shh, run!' to avoid them. Shun and run.
When not to use
Do not use for formal, legal expulsions; shun is an informal, behavioral choice.
Fun facts
- In certain traditional communities, such as the Amish, 'shunning' (known as Meidung) is a formal social punishment where members are forbidden from business or social contact with an offender.
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