Shrug

Pronunciation: /ʃrʌɡ/

Definitions of shrug

noun a gesture involving the raising of one's shoulders, often expressing uncertainty or indifference

Example Sentences

A1 He gave a shrug when asked about his plans for the weekend.

A2 She responded with a shrug when asked if she wanted to go out for dinner.

B1 The student's shrug indicated that he didn't understand the question.

B2 After hearing the news, she just gave a shrug and went back to work.

C1 His shrug of indifference showed that he was not impressed with the presentation.

C2 Despite the criticism, he maintained a nonchalant shrug and continued with his work.

Examples of shrug in a Sentence

formal She gave a nonchalant shrug when asked about the company's financial performance.

informal I don't know where to eat tonight, so I'll just shrug and let someone else decide.

slang When he was caught cheating on the test, he just shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

figurative The politician's response to the scandal was to shrug and act like it was business as usual.

Grammatical Forms of shrug

• past tense: shrugged
• plural: shrugs
• comparative: more shrugged
• superlative: most shrugged
• present tense: shrug
• future tense: will shrug
• perfect tense: have shrugged
• continuous tense: is shrugging
• singular: shrug
• positive degree: shrug
• infinitive: to shrug
• gerund: shrugging
• participle: shrugged

Origin and Evolution of shrug

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'shrug' is believed to have originated from the Old French word 'esrugier' which means to 'shrink or draw back'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'shrug' has retained its meaning of a gesture of raising one's shoulders to express indifference or uncertainty.