shunned

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/ʃʌnd/
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Deliberate avoidance in the past, or the excluded state of a person, idea, or thing treated as unwelcome.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • A shunned group may form its own support network.
  • Investors shunned the stock after the safety report.
  • The committee shunned shortcuts that might weaken the evidence.
  • The shunned neighbor ate alone at community dinners.
  • He had shunned advice until the problem became urgent.

Similar words

avoided
snubbed
excluded
unwelcome
outcast
boycotted
rejected
rejected
spurned
evaded

Meanings

Avoided deliberately

verb
social
neutral
Avoided a person, place, practice, or idea on purpose, often from dislike, caution, fear, or disapproval.

Usage

Use shunned when the avoidance was intentional, not merely accidental or caused by lack of opportunity.

Examples

  • After the dispute, he shunned family gatherings for years.
  • The committee shunned shortcuts that might weaken the evidence.
  • Investors shunned the stock after the safety report.
  • She shunned publicity and rarely gave interviews.
  • The village shunned anyone who broke its strict rules.
  • He had shunned advice until the problem became urgent.

Common mistakes

The base verb is used where the past form is needed, and shunned is sometimes stretched to mean any kind of dislike.
IncorrectCorrect
He shun the reunion after the argument. He shunned the reunion after the argument.
She shunneded every interview request. She shunned every interview request.
The company shunned from the risky investment. The company shunned the risky investment.
I shunned my keys at home. I left my keys at home.

Similar words

avoided
eschewed
snubbed
rejected
spurned
boycotted
ostracized
evaded

Rejected by others

adjective
social
neutral
Avoided or excluded by others in a way that marks someone or something as unwelcome.

Usage

Use shunned before a noun or after a linking verb when the focus is the excluded state, not the act of avoiding.

Examples

  • The shunned neighbor ate alone at community dinners.
  • Once shunned, the proposal later became standard policy.
  • He felt shunned after his friends stopped replying.
  • A shunned group may form its own support network.
  • The shunned artist found an audience years later.
  • For years, the treatment was shunned by mainstream doctors.

Common mistakes

The adjective is confused with the base verb, and it is sometimes attached to nouns that cannot logically be excluded.
IncorrectCorrect
She felt shun after her friends stopped calling. She felt shunned after her friends stopped calling.
The shunned of the community lived alone. The shunned man lived alone.
His shunned reputation made work difficult. His bad reputation left him shunned.
The policy was shunned to employees. The policy was shunned by employees.

Similar words

ostracized
rejected
excluded
unwelcome
outcast
snubbed
spurned
avoided

Usage

Use shunned for intentional avoidance or exclusion, especially when disapproval or caution is part of the reason.

Common mistakes

He shun is missing the past form, and shunned should not be used for simply losing, forgetting, or mildly disliking something.

Etymology

From the verb shun, from Middle English shunnen or shonen, from Old English scunian, meaning to avoid, shrink from, or seek safety from something. The older verb is of uncertain origin.

FAQ

What does shunned mean?

Shunned means deliberately avoided, rejected, or kept outside contact, often because of disapproval or caution.

Is shunned a verb or an adjective?

Shunned is the past simple and past participle of shun, and it is also used adjectivally for someone or something that has been avoided.

Does shunned always mean socially rejected?

No. Social rejection is common, but an idea, practice, place, investment, or public attention can also be shunned.

What is a good synonym for shunned?

Good choices include avoided, ostracized, rejected, snubbed, and eschewed, depending on the context.

Where does shunned come from?

It comes from shun, which goes back through Middle English to Old English scunian, a verb meaning to avoid or shrink from something.

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