Other forms: shunned, shunning, shuns
To shun is to deliberately avoid and refuse to accept someone. Shunned by the village, shun publicity, socially shunned.
The deliberateness and the social weight are what make it strong: being shunned is a punishment, formalised in some religious communities where members are cut off entirely. Of things it means simply to keep away from — shun the limelight. Note that the word is Old English and its origin beyond that is unknown.
1verbshunTo deliberately avoid and refuse to accept someone.
“After the scandal, his old friends shunned him in the street.”
shun is a deliberate avoiding.
Old English scunian meant to avoid or fear. Its origin beyond English is unknown, and shunt may be related.
Proto-Indo-European
*(s)kewH-
Proto-Germanic
*skunōną
Old English
sċunian — to shun, fear, avoid
Middle English
schonen — to decline to do, avoid, fear
English, today
shun
Built from
From Middle English schonen (“to decline to do, avoid, fear”), from Old English sċunian (“to shun, fear, avoid”), of unknown origin, though probably ultimately connected to the Proto-Indo-European - root (s)kewH- (“to cover, conceal”) via Proto-Germanic skunōną; see that entry for more discussion. Compare hide, shy, and Sanskrit स्कुनाति (“to cover”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA