# shrug

> English word · Noun · IPA /ʃɹʌɡ/ · frequency rank #19,696

## Definitions
1. A lifting of the shoulders to signal indifference or a casual lack of knowledge.
2. A cropped, cardigan-like garment with short or long sleeves, typically knitted.

## Etymology
From Middle English schruggen, shrukken, probably of North Germanic origin related to Danish skrugge, skrukke (“to stoop; crouch”), Swedish skruga, skrukka (“to huddle; crouch”), all from or related to Old Norse skrykkva, from Proto-Germanic *skrinkwaną. Compare also Old English scrincan (“to shrink”). More at shrink.

## Easily confused with
- **shut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-shut)
- **slug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-slug)
- **smug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-smug)
- **shun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-shun)
- **snug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-snug)
- **syrup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-syrup)
- **strut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-strut)
- **sprung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-sprung)
- **strung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-strung)
- **shrunk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-shrunk)
- **shrugs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrug-vs-shrugs)
- **Shri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shri-vs-shrug)
- **shag** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shag-vs-shrug)
- **shout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shout-vs-shrug)
- **serum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serum-vs-shrug)
- **scrub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scrub-vs-shrug)
- **Shaun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shaun-vs-shrug)
- **shred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shred-vs-shrug)
- **Shrek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrek-vs-shrug)
- **scrum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scrum-vs-shrug)

## Common misspellings (8)
`hsrug`, `shhrug`, `shrgu`, `shrrug`, `shrugg`, `shurg`, `srhug`, `sshrug`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shrug