What does shirked mean?
Shirked is the past tense and past participle of shirk, a verb meaning to avoid or neglect a duty, task, or responsibility. It often suggests laziness or deliberate evasion rather than a temporary inability to perform the work, making it a strongly disapproving term. For example, a person who shirked their duties may have left a task unfinished while others completed it. The word appears in expressions such as shirk one's responsibilities and shirk one's duties, and is used in both formal and informal contexts. Although it can describe anyone who avoids an obligation, it is especially associated with criticism of people who fail to contribute their fair share of work.
verbShirked means avoided doing something that one is expected or obliged to do, especially as a result of laziness or lack of responsibility.
- Avoided doing required or expected work, especially through laziness or deliberate neglect.
"He shirked his responsibilities while his colleagues completed the difficult work."
"The employee shirked his duties and left the unfinished assignment for someone else."
"Rather than shirk the task, she asked for help and completed it responsibly."
To shirk is to let someone else carry the weight of a responsibility you were expected to share.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shirked come from?
The word derives from the verb shirk, which is attested from the early 16th century. Its precise origin is uncertain, although later usage clearly established the sense of avoiding or evading work and responsibility. The form shirked is the regular past tense and past participle formed by adding the suffix -ed.
Related word forms
How shirked is actually used
The word is strongly critical in tone and is usually used to describe someone who avoids work, duties, or responsibilities. It is somewhat formal but common in British and American English.
Easily confused with shirked
Shirk means to avoid a duty, while shrink means to become smaller or to recoil from something.