Shun

/ʃʌn/

Synonyms for "shun" (128 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (26)

Verb(16 words)
eschewostracizeanathemiseavertedavoidavoid artavoid contactavoid legislative topicsavoid penaltiesavoidedavoidsbanbanishblackballblackballedboycotted
abstainabstain fromavoidbe stuck-upbilkboycott
Adjective(1 words)
antisocial growth
Noun(3 words)
avoid graphsboycottboycotting

Strong matches (38)

Verb(11 words)
bulliedcast outeschewedeschewingeschewsexcludeexcommunicatedignoreignore a friendignore a questionignore art
Show 4 more words
give uphold aloofhold aloof fromhold back

Related words (64)

Noun(10 words)
ignore the dataignore valueignoring instructionsostracizingoutcastspeer isolationshyingsnubbingsteer clear of crowdswillful ignore
isolatekeep aloofkeep away fromkeep clear ofkeep fromkeep hands offkeep remote fromleave well enough alonelet alonelet go bylet well enough alonemake way fornever touchnot meddle withnot touchpass uprebuffrefrainrefrain fromrefuse
Show 21 more words
rejectrenouncerun away fromscornshirkshouldershrink fromshysidestepsnubsparespurnstandstand aloofstand aloof fromstay detached fromsteersteer clear ofswearturn away fromwithhold
Adjective(1 words)

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: eschew, ostracize, abstain, abstain from, anathemise.
  • Sentence evidence is available for shun, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "shun".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "shun"

Keep "shun" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "shun" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "shun", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "shun" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

9 entries

More specific

5 entries

Collocations

6 entries
cultural shunninginstitutional shunningpeer shunningpublic shunningself shunningsocial shunning

Inflections

3 entries

Derivations

3 entries

Sample sentences

13 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

Shun will take over my job while I'm away.

Source: tatoeba (247058)

Please don’t shun me because I have this gift.

Source: tatoeba (6112558)

"If yet he lives and looks upon the sun, / nor cruel death hath snatched him from the light, / no fear have we, nor need hast thou to shun / a Trojan guest, or rue kin offices begun."

Source: tatoeba (6796276)

"One alone, / Celaeno, sings of famine foul and dread, / a nameless prodigy, a plague unknown. / What perils first to shun? what path to tread, / to win deliverance from such toils?"

Source: tatoeba (7066039)

Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "shun"?

Closest matches include eschew, ostracize, abstain, abstain from, anathemise.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "shun"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "shun"