What does "shirk" mean?
One who shirks, who avoids a duty or responsibility.
Shirk
/ʃɜːk/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who shirks, who avoids a duty or responsibility.
- Grammar: shirk is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: goldbrick, abandon, abandoning, abdicating.
- Useful contrasts: apply oneself, beavers, betaking.
- Usage evidence: I won’t mislead you, I won’t betray you, I won't shirk!
How to use "shirk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shirk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shirk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shirk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shirk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shirk" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "goldbrick" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who shirks, who avoids a duty or responsibility.
"I may add here that, coming as the soldiers did from all avocations and stations in life, these details for fatigue often brought together men few of whom had any practical knowledge of the work in hand; so that aside from the shirks, who could work but would not, there were other who would but could not, at least intelligently."
- 2 The unforgivable sin of association (claiming something or someone can share in the oneness of God). uncountable
"A person can have committed shirk in their lifetime and still find forgiveness (especially by saying the Shahada and becoming a Muslim). The concept is that if one dies in this state (as a mushrik, an idolator, one who engages in and does not repent shirk), there is no forgiveness."
Verb
- 1 To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from. transitive
"the usual makeshift by which they try to shirk difficulties"
- 2 avoid dealing with wordnet
- 3 To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away. intransitive
"If you have a job, don't shirk from it by staying off work."
- 4 avoid (one's assigned duties) wordnet
- 5 To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation. transitive
"You that never heard the call of any vocation, […] that shirk living from others, but time from yourselves."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"I won’t mislead you, I won’t betray you, I won't shirk!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shirk"?
Common synonyms include: goldbrick, abandon, abandoning, abdicating, avoid, avoid.
How do you use "shirk" in a sentence?
I won’t mislead you, I won’t betray you, I won't shirk!
How do you pronounce "shirk"?
Pronounced /ʃɜːk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
First use appears c. 1633, in the publications of Shackerley Marmion, apparently from association with shark (verb), or otherwise directly from German Schurke (“rogue, knave”).
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Arabic شِرْك (širk).