shun

Etymology

From Middle English shǒnen (“to decline to do, avoid, fear”), from Old English sċunian (“to shun, fear, avoid”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *skū̌hnōn, *skū̌hnijan, *skeuhnēn (“to frighten, fear”), from Proto-Germanic *skuhaz, *skeuhaz (“timid, fearful, shy”). Alternatively, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewdʰ- (“to cover, wrap, encase”), from *(s)kewH- (“to cover, hide”); if so, cognate with Old English hȳdan (“to hide, conceal, preserve”).

verb

1. (transitive) To avoid, especially persistently; ostracize.
   Acrophobes shun mountaineering.
   British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far. 2013-08-10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848
2. (transitive) To escape (a threatening evil, an unwelcome task etc).
3. (transitive) To screen, hide.
4. (transitive) To shove, push.