The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English
shrug
verb [I or T] /ʃrʌɡ/ (-gg-)Definition
C2 to raise your shoulders and then lower them in order to say you do not know or are not interested: "Where's Dad?" "How should I know?" replied my brother, shrugging. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say that there was nothing he could do about it.figurative Thousands of people are starving to death while the world shrugs its shoulders (= shows no interest or care).Gestures with the head or shoulders
(Definition of shrug verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Focus on the pronunciation of shrug
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Gestures & gesturing, but you might be interested in these topics from the Communication topic area:
- Admitting & confessing
- Announcing, informing & stating
- Answering & responding
- Assertions & asserting
- Codes & decoding
- Communicating & keeping in touch
- Debate & discussion
- Defining & explaining
- Describing & telling stories
- Exaggerating & playing down
- Giving advice
- Giving orders & commands
- Informal talking & conversation
- Insults & abuse
- Interrupting & preventing from speaking
- Inviting & summoning
- Lecturing & addressing
- Making & accepting apologies
- Making & breaking promises & commitments
- Making appeals & requests
- Meaning & significance
- Meeting people
- Official meetings
- People who reveal secrets & tell tales
- Questioning people & asking questions in general
- Quoting & making references
- Remarks & remarking
- Revealing secrets & becoming known
- Saying & uttering
- Saying again
- Speakers & talkers
- Stressing & emphasizing
- Suggestions & proposals
- Suspecting & questioning
- Threats & warnings
- Topics & areas of interest
- Welcoming, greeting & greetings
- Written greetings
- Yes, no & not
Browse the Thesaurus
More Results for “shrug”
SMART Thesaurus: Gestures & gesturing
Synonyms and related words:
- air quotes noun
- beckon verb
- blow verb (SEND OUT AIR)
- bob noun (MOVEMENT)
- body language noun
- cock verb (TURN)
- cross your fingers idiom 1
- cue verb
- give sb the finger idiom
- inclination noun (MOVEMENT)
- mooning noun
- motion verb
- nod noun
- nod verb
- non-verbal adjective
- peace sign noun
- pump sb's hand idiom
- shrug noun (SHOULDER MOVEMENT)
- wave noun (HAND MOVEMENT)
- wave verb (MOVE HAND)
Word of the Day
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
