Reading Theme:
Shrug: Definition, Examples, and Usage Guide (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：raise and lower shoulders (shrug)
shrug
/ʃrʌɡ/
v./n.
To raise and then lower your shoulders to show you don't know the answer or don't care about something.
raise and lower shoulders
➕
/reɪz ænd ˈloʊər ˈʃoʊldərz/
v./n.
To lift and then drop your shoulders as a gesture to express that you do not know something or that you are not concerned.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Possibly imitative of the motion; first recorded in 14th century.
💡 Mnemonic
Think of shaking a rug: you 'shrug' your shoulders to get rid of a question.
📖 Example
When the teacher asked who broke the window, Tom just shrugged and looked away.
When the teacher asked who broke the window, Tom just shrugged and looked away.
🔗 Collocations
shrug off – to dismiss or ignore something as unimportant
shrug at – to react to something with a shrug, showing indifference
shrug one's shoulders – to perform the shrug gesture
🔄 Synonyms
hunch (v.) – to raise and round one's shoulders, often indicating uncertainty
lift shoulders (v.) – to raise the shoulders as a gesture of doubt or lack of knowledge
gesture indifference (v.) – to make a movement that shows one does not care
🚫 Antonyms
📖 Cultural Story
The origin of 'shrug' is uncertain but it may come from Old Norse 'skrukka' meaning 'to crouch'. It has been a universal gesture in Western cultures for centuries.
Meaning 2：a shrug (shrug)
shrug
/ʃrʌɡ/
v./n.
The movement of raising and then lowering your shoulders.
a shrug
➕
/ə ʃrʌɡ/
v./n.
An act of raising and then lowering the shoulders, typically to express a lack of knowledge or concern.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
Her only reply was a helpless shrug before she turned back to her work.
Her only reply was a helpless shrug before she turned back to her work.
🔗 Collocations
with a shrug – accompanied by a shrug gesture
give a shrug – to perform a shrug
a shrug of the shoulders – the specific gesture itself
🔄 Synonyms
shoulder movement (n.) – a motion of the shoulders, especially as a gesture
shrugging motion (n.) – the act of shrugging
gesture of indifference (n.) – a non-verbal signal showing lack of concern
🚫 Antonyms
nod (n.) – a head movement indicating agreement or affirmation
sign of certainty (n.) – a gesture that shows confidence, opposite of a shrug
beckon (n.) – a gesture calling someone closer, indicating intention
Wordbook
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