scunner

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a strong dislike, aversion, or feeling of disgust; chiefly Scottish and northern British

   She took a scunner to the proposal as soon as she learned who had written it.

2. 2
   verb

   to feel disgust, aversion, or intense dislike; chiefly dialectal

   After months of delays, they began to scunner at every new promise.

3. 3
   verb

   to cause someone to feel disgust or aversion; chiefly Scottish and northern British

   The cruelty of the spectacle was enough to scunner even its former supporters.

Borrowed from Scots scunner or skunner, from Older Scots forms meaning "to shrink back or flinch," related to Middle English skoneren, "to feel sick or disgusted." Its deeper origin is uncertain; a connection with shun has been proposed, while scare and scorn offer possible parallels.

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