shrug

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To raise your shoulders to show that you do not know or do not care.

   I asked him for an answer and he just shrugged.

2. 2
   noun

   The act of raising your shoulders to show indifference or uncertainty.

   He dismissed my comment with a shrug.

From Middle English schruggen, shrukken, probably of North Germanic origin related to Danish skrugge, skrukke (“to stoop; crouch”), Swedish skruga, skrukka (“to huddle; crouch”), all from or related to Old Norse skrykkva, from Proto-Germanic *skrinkwaną. Compare also Old English scrincan (“to shrink”). More at shrink.

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