Meaning & use

shirking

verb·Academic

Avoiding a duty, responsibility, or task, especially through laziness.

See it in a sentence

He was accused of shirking his household chores while his roommates worked hard.

The manager noticed several employees shirking their responsibilities during the busy season.

A note on using this word

Present participle of "shirk"; carries a disapproving tone, implying deliberate avoidance rather than an honest inability.

Words with a similar meaning

avoidingdodgingneglecting

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

fulfillingtackling

Make it your own

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