Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of shirk.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the evasion of work or duty

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • That would provide some immediate financial relief to households facing foreclosure, but it would encourage many more homeowners to begin shirking their mortgage payments in the belief that they would also be able to avoid the consequences.

    To sort this mess, both banks and borrowers must do the right thing Steven Pearlstein 2010

  • That would provide some immediate financial relief to households facing foreclosure, but it would encourage many more homeowners to begin shirking their mortgage payments in the belief that they would also be able to avoid the consequences.

    To sort this mess, both banks and borrowers must do the right thing Steven Pearlstein 2010

  • Obama will lose, and Hillary will say I told you so, again shirking responsibility.

    Clinton makes popular vote pitch in new ad 2008

  • Several commenters suggest that shirking is not significant problem.

    Balkinization 2007

  • "[T] he core elements of female fantasy is [sic] the idea of shirking responsibility, throwing caution to the wind, and living out all of your selfish desires without major consequences." explains

    The Point Blog 2010

  • It's not called shirking responsibility, it's called "taking a break."

    Mania News Feed 2010

  • In an inspection game, one player faces a series of choices either to work for a reward, in which case he is sure to receive it, or to perform another, easier action ( "shirking"), in which case he will receive the reward only if the other player (the "inspector") is not monitoring him.

    Game Theory Ross, Don 2006

  • In his statement Leon accused Mbeki of "shirking" his responsibilities by going to Chile.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 2005

  • People talk of modern women "shirking" motherhood, but it would be a silly sort of universe in which a large proportion of women had any natural and instinctive desire to shirk motherhood, and, I believe, a huge proportion of modern women are as passionately predisposed towards motherhood as ever women were.

    An Englishman Looks at the World 1906

  • But the old lady did not approve of people "shirking" (as boys say) either their duties or their pleasures; and to keep a "merry Christmas" in a family circle that had been spared to meet in health and happiness, seemed to her to be both the one and the other.

    The Brownies and Other Tales 1871

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