Standard Lemma guide

shirk

name · noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: shûk
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ʃɜːk/
  • General-American: shûrk
  • General-American: /ʃɝk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)k
  • homophone: SSHRC
  • UK: /ʃɜːk/
  • US: /ʃɝk/
  • homophone: shirk
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: SH ER1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who shirks, who avoids a duty or responsibility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dodger

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The unforgivable sin of association (claiming something or someone can share in the oneness of God).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: Islam, lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • If you have a job, don't shirk from it by staying off work.
  • September 7, 1830, Lord Byron, letter to Mr. Murray One of the cities shirked from the league.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

avoid dealing with

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She shirks her duties

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: avoid

8

verb

Meaning 8

avoid (one's assigned duties)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The derelict soldier shirked his duties

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fiddle, shrink from, goldbrick

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: avoid

Narrower terms: scrimshank, malinger, skulk, slack

History

Etymology

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”).

Borrowed from Arabic شِرْك (širk).

Across languages

Translations

64 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: boyun qaçırmaq — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Azerbaijani: yayınmaq — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Bulgarian: кръшкам (krǎškam) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Bulgarian: клинча (klinča) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Chinese Mandarin: 逃避 (táobì) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Czech: vyhnout se — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Czech: vyhýbat se — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Czech: utéct — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Czech: utíkat — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Dutch: ontduiken — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Dutch: zich drukken — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Dutch: zijn plicht ontlopen — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Esperanto: eskapeviti — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Esperanto: eviti — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Esperanto: eskapi — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Finnish: pinnata — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • French: esquiver — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • French: éviter — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • French: se défiler — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Georgian: თავს არიდებს (tavs aridebs) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • German: sich drücken — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • German: umgehen — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • German: meiden — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • German: ausweichen — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • German: aus dem Weg gehen — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • German: kneifen — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Greek: λουφάω (loufáo) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Icelandic: koma sér undan — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Italian: scansare — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Italian: sottrarsi — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Italian: dare buca — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Italian: eludere — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Māori: whakataha — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Māori: whakatataha — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skulke — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skofte — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skulka — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skulke — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Polish: wymigiwać się — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Polish: wymigać się — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Polish: wykręcać się — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Polish: wykręcić się — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Portuguese: esquivar — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Romanian: eschiva — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Romanian: fofila — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Russian: сачкова́ть (sačkovátʹ) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Russian: ло́дырничать (lódyrničatʹ) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Russian: безде́льничать (bezdélʹničatʹ) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Russian: уви́ливать (uvílivatʹ) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Russian: уклоня́ться (uklonjátʹsja) — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Spanish: correrse — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Spanish: remolonear — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Spanish: escaquearse de — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Swedish: smita från — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Swedish: undvika — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Turkish: kaçınmak — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Turkish: kaytarmak — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Vietnamese: trốn tránh — (transitive) avoid a duty
  • Polish: bumelować — (intransitive) to evade an obligation
  • Spanish: escaquearse — (intransitive) to evade an obligation
  • Spanish: escurrir el bulto — (intransitive) to evade an obligation
  • Spanish: guardar el bulto — (intransitive) to evade an obligation
  • Spanish: estar al socaire — (intransitive) to evade an obligation
  • Spanish: ponerse al socaire — (intransitive) to evade an obligation