shrug

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

shrug, v. t. [Probably akin to shrink, p. p. shrunk; cf. Dan. skrugge, skrukke, to stoop, dial. Sw. skrukka, skruga, to crouch.].

 To draw up or contract (the shoulders), especially by way of expressing doubt, indifference, dislike, dread, or the like.  [1913 Webster]
"He shrugs his shoulders when you talk of securities."  [1913 Webster]

shrug, v. i. 

 To raise or draw up the shoulders, as in expressing doubt, indifference, dislike, dread, or the like.  [1913 Webster]
"They grin, they shrug.
They bow, they snarl, they snatch, they hug."  [1913 Webster]

shrug, n. 

 A gesture consisting of drawing up the shoulders, -- a motion usually expressing doubt, indifference, or dislike; -- it is sometimes accompanied by a slight turning of the hands outward or upward. Such a gesture may be made, as in answering "who knows" to a question, suggesting utter ignorance of an answer and a disinclination to pursue the topic further.  [1913 Webster]
"On Sept. 23, in a major speech in New York, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commision, Arthur Levitt asked the Big Board to spike the rule [Rule 390] in the interest of free and unfettered markets. . . . Mr. Grasso responded with a shrug, saying that he had no plans to kill the rule."  [PJC]
"The Spaniards talk in dialogues
Of heads and shoulders, nods and shrugs."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

shrug, v. & n.
--v. (shrugged, shrugging)
1 intr. slightly and momentarily raise the shoulders to express indifference, helplessness, contempt, etc.
2 tr. a raise (the shoulders) in this way. b shrug the shoulders to express (indifference etc.) (shrugged his consent).
--n. the act or an instance of shrugging.

Idiom

shrug off dismiss as unimportant etc. by or as if by shrugging.

Etymology

ME: orig. unkn.

THESAURUS

shrug

accept, bearing, beck, beckon, body language, carriage, charade, chironomy, condone, countenance, dactylology, deaf-and-dumb alphabet, dumb show, gesticulate, gesticulation, gesture, gesture language, grin and abide, hand signal, kinesics, let go by, let pass, mime, motion, motion to, movement, obey, overlook, pantomime, poise, pose, posture, rise above, saw the air, shrug it off, shrug the shoulders, sign language, stance, submit to, wave the arms, yield to

ROGET THESAURUS

shrug

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.

VB indicate, be the sign, of, denote, betoken, argue, testify, bear the impress, of, connote, connotate, represent, stand for, typify, symbolize, put an indication, put a mark, note, mark, stamp, earmark, blaze, label, ticket, docket, dot, spot, score, dash, trace, chalk, print, imprint, impress, engrave, stereotype, make a sign, signalize, underscore, give a signal, hang out a signal, beckon, nod, wink, glance, leer, nudge, shrug, tip the wink, gesticulate, raise the finger, hold up the finger, raise the hand, hold up the hand, saw the air, suit the action to the word, wave a banner, unfurl a banner, hoist a banner, hang out a banner, wave the hand, wave a kerchief, give the cue, show one's colors, give an alarm, sound an alarm, beat the drum, sound the trumpets, raise a cry, sign, seal, attest, underline, call attention to, give notice.