# shut

> English word · Verb · IPA /ʃʌt/ · frequency rank #1,738

## Definitions
1. To close, in various senses.
2. To close, in various senses.
3. To close, in various senses.
4. To close, in various senses.
5. To close, in various senses.
6. To close, in various senses.
7. To catch or snag in the act of shutting something.
8. To confine in an enclosed area; to enclose.
9. To isolate, to close off from the world.
10. To preclude, exclude.
11. simple past and past participle of shut

## Etymology
From Middle English schitten, schetten, from Old English scyttan (“to cause rapid movement, shoot a bolt, shut, bolt”), from Proto-Germanic *skutjaną, *skuttijaną (“to bar, bolt”), from Proto-Germanic *skuttą, *skuttjō (“bar, bolt, shed”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewd- (“to drive, fall upon, rush”). The Modern English word was originally a dialect form; the Old English word would have normally merged with shit.
Cognate with Dutch schutten (“to shut in, lock up”), Low German schütten (“to shut, lock in”), German schützen (“to shut out, dam, protect, guard”).

## Easily confused with
- **su** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-su)
- **sun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sun)
- **sit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sit)
- **sub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sub)
- **sum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sum)
- **sue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sue)
- **shy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-shy)
- **SUV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-suv)
- **sup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sup)
- **Stu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-stu)
- **Sus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sus)
- **Sui** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sui)
- **suh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-suh)
- **SMT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-smt)
- **Sul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sul)
- **Siu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-siu)
- **sou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sou)
- **sud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sud)
- **sot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sot)
- **SST** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shut-vs-sst)

## Common misspellings (6)
`hsut`, `shhut`, `shtu`, `shutt`, `sshut`, `suht`

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