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Shirk: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Shirk verb. To avoid a duty, task or responsibility out of laziness or fear.
How to say it
SHURK/ˈʃɜːk/
1 syllable. Forms: shirks.
Shirk in a sentence
He’d shirk the washing-up every night by suddenly needing to make a phone call.
A good captain never shirks the hard conversations with the team.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- dodge
- evade
- skive
- duck
Opposite:
- shoulder
- tackle
Where shirk comes from
Of uncertain origin; it appears in the 17th century, perhaps from German Schurke, a scoundrel.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
A good captain never _____ the hard conversations with the team.
- appraise
- shirk
- satisfice
Show the answer
shirk: A good captain never shirks the hard conversations with the team.