Shirk
/ʃɜːrk/
Definitions
To avoid or neglect (a duty, responsibility, or work).
/ʃɜːrk/
To avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility).
He always shirks his chores.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend's supposed to do the dishes, but they always find a way to avoid it. That's shirk, like when you *shirk* the chore of vacuuming your room.
👶 For kids: To not do something you're supposed to do.
More Examples
She shirked her duty by not attending the meeting.
The employee shirked work.
How It's Used
"Employees should not shirk their responsibilities."
"Students who shirk their homework often fail the class."
From Middle English *schirken, perhaps from Old High German *scirkan ("to flinch, shrink").
The word 'shirk' has been used since the late 16th century, initially with a broader sense of 'avoiding' and later narrowing to specifically avoiding responsibilities or duties.
Memory tip
Think of the word 'shirk' as avoiding duties, like a 'shark' avoiding small fish.