- (transitive) to avoid deliberately; keep away from
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
shun /ʃʌn/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], shunned, shun•ning.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to keep away from;
try hard to avoid:She shunned her family and refused to return to her home village.
shun
(shun),USA pronunciation v.t., shunned, shun•ning.
shun′na•ble, adj.
shun′ner, n.
Shun (sho̅o̅n),USA pronunciation n. [Wade-Giles, Pinyin.]
- to keep away from (a place, person, object, etc.), from motives of dislike, caution, etc.;
take pains to avoid.
- Middle English shunen, Old English scunian to avoid, fear bef. 950
shun′ner, n.
- evade, eschew.
- seek.
Shun (sho̅o̅n),USA pronunciation n. [Wade-Giles, Pinyin.]
- Eastern Religions, World HistorySee under Yao.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shun /ʃʌn/ vb (shuns, shunning, shunned)
'shun' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):