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Added 9 October 2026

shun

/ʃʌn/ verb

In Latin: ēvītō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about shun at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of.
Expel from a community or group.

Origin

From Middle English schonen (“to decline to do, avoid, fear”), from Old English sċunian (“to shun, fear, avoid”), of uncertain origin, though probably ultimately connected to the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)kewH- (“to cover, conceal”) via Proto-Germanic *skunōną; see that entry for more discussion. Compare hide, shy, and Sanskrit स्कुनाति (skunāti, “to cover”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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