Shrugging
/ˈʃrʌɡɪŋ/
verbpresent participleA2present participle
Definition
Shrugging means moving your shoulders up and down a little to show that you are unsure, do not know the answer, or do not care about something. It is a common body gesture used to communicate without words.
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See It in Action
Moving shoulders to show not knowing or not caring
- •She was shrugging when I asked about the problem.
- •He kept shrugging because he did not have an answer.
- •When asked, they just shrugged and smiled.
Showing indifference or lack of interest by shoulder movement
- •The student shrugged off the question and changed the subject.
- •He was shrugging as if the problem did not bother him.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "shrugging" like "not knowing," but shown with your body instead of words.
- ✓Picture someone lifting their shoulders up quickly and then letting them drop, like saying "I don't know" without speaking.
- ✓It's the feeling when you want to show you are confused or don't have an opinion.
- ✓Sounds like "shrug" → imagine a small "shrug" sound when your shoulders move up and down.
- ✓Think of cartoons or movies where a character shrugs to show they are puzzled or don't care.
- ✓NOT like "nodding" (which means yes), "shrugging" means no answer or no care.
- ✓NOT like "waving" (which means hello or goodbye), "shrugging" is about uncertainty or indifference.
- ✓NOT like "shaking head" (which means no), shrugging is more about not knowing or not caring, not a clear no.
Try Other Words
- •Raising shoulders: lifting shoulders slightly (Use when describing the physical action without meaning)
- •Ignoring: not paying attention (Use when shrugging shows not caring rather than not knowing)
- •Disregarding: ignoring or not considering (Use when shrugging means to not care about something important)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: root "shrug" + suffix "-ing" (shows action happening now)
- •Etymology: Old English origin; "shrug" means to raise shoulders quickly
- •Historical development: Used since the 1500s to describe the shoulder gesture for uncertainty or indifference
- •Modern usage: Common in everyday language and body language to show lack of knowledge or care
Reflect & Connect
•When have you used shrugging to show you did not know something? How did people understand you?
•Can shrugging be seen as rude or polite? How does culture affect the meaning of this gesture?
Fill in the blanks
1.She was shrugging her shoulders because she ___ the answer to the question.
2.When he started shrugging, it showed he was ___ about the problem.
3.Shrugging is different from nodding because nodding means ___, but shrugging means uncertainty or ___.
4.People often shrug ___ when they want to show they do not care.
5.After hearing the bad news, he just shrugged and ___ it off.
6.You can tell someone is shrugging when their shoulders ___ up and down quickly.
7.Shrugging is a way to communicate ___ words when you do not want to speak.