shirk
/ʃɝk/verb, noun
shirk is spelled S-H-I-R-K: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,663rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, shirk means “To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in shirk?
| Letters | 5: S-H-I-R-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 43,663rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is shirk?
Shirk appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,663rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shirk?
- UK /ʃɜːk/
- US /ʃɝk/
As a noun (“The unforgivable sin of association (claiming something or…”): /ʃɜːk/, /ʃɝk/.
Shirk has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-shirk.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-shirk_(Islam).wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with shirk?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as shirk from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹk/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of shirk
- shirks present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- shirking participle, present
- shirked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shirk mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.
- 2
To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away.
If you have a job, don't shirk from it by staying off work.
- 3
To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation.
noun
- 1
One who shirks, who avoids a duty or responsibility.
- 2
The unforgivable sin of association (claiming something or someone can share in the oneness of God).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shirk in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | esquiver, éviter, se défiler |
| German | sich drücken, umgehen, meiden, ausweichen, aus dem Weg gehen, kneifen |
| Portuguese | esquivar |
| Spanish | escaquearse de, fumarse, capar, capear , escaquearse, correrse |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does shirk come from?
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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).