Shrugging

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈʃɹʌɡɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The motion of elevating the shoulders as a sign of uncertainty or lack of concern is often used in conversation
2. Raising the shoulders as a gesture often indicates ambivalence, uncertainty, or disregard for the subject at hand
3. The act of raising one's shoulders to express uncertainty or indifference towards something

Etymology: The gesture takes its name from "shrug", which appeared in Middle English as "schruggen" or "shrukken". It probably came from North Germanic, where close relatives such as Danish "skrugge" and Swedish "skruga" meant to stoop or crouch. These trace back to Old Norse "skrykkva" and ultimately to a Proto-Germanic form. English has a surprising cousin in Old English "scrincan", meaning "to shrink". "Shrugging" is the present participle and gerund of "shrug", so its meaning and history are those of its base verb. The sense of hunching the shoulders as a sign of indifference is what the verb has carried in English.

Synonyms: lifting, raising, shrug, dismissive gesture

Antonyms: accepting, embracing