Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “shrug” come from?

Shrug comes from Middle English schruggen, of unknown origin and meaning.

shrug (English): A lifting of the shoulders to signal indifference...

Definitions

  1. A lifting of the shoulders to signal indifference...

Ancestry of “shrug”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishschruggen—

Words derived from “shrug”

  • shrugger
  • shruggy
  • shruggie
Every word from Middle English schruggen →