Meaning & Definition of word "Shirk"

Shirk

/ʃɜrk/

1. to evade work, duty, or responsibility
- Example: He tried to shirk his responsibilities by blaming others for his mistakes.
2. to avoid a task or duty, especially out of laziness or fear
- Example: She always shirks her chores, leaving them for her siblings to complete.
3. to escape or avoid (something undesirable)
- Example: The student attempted to shirk the exam by claiming to be sick.

Middle English shirken, from shirk (verb) 'to evade or shrink from'.

shirk one's responsibilities:

to avoid fulfilling one's duties.

shirk and shirk:

to constantly avoid responsibilities.

evade:

to escape or avoid something, especially by cleverness or trickery.

neglect:

to fail to care for or attend to something properly.

Meaning: Cutting corners

Example Sentence: He was cutting corners on his project, trying to shirk work.

Meaning: Slacking off

Example Sentence: She was just slacking off instead of studying for the exam.