Words / B2

SHRUG/ʃrʌɡ/

To shrug is to raise your shoulders to show you do not know or care; shrug off means treat as unimportant: shrug off a concern. Gesture is wider. Do not shrug off a safeguarding concern. Noun: a shrug. Mix-up: snug means tight and warm; shrug as a cardigan is fashion. Do not write shrug for “shake your head”.

Meaning

To raise your shoulders to show you do not know or care; shrug off means treat as unimportant.

Examples

• “Do not shrug off a safeguarding concern as “banter” in the log.”
• “He shrugged when asked for a source, which is the “I do not know” sense.”

Good to know

shrug your shoulders; shrug off + noun. Trap: snug. Orals, news, and pastoral. A shoulder gesture, not a head-shake.

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