
shabby | shabby: adj. 1 worn, dingy, faded, worn out, threadbare, tatty, tattered, frayed, raggedy, ragged, scruffy, dilapidated, ratty, dirty, bedraggled, mangy, run-down, seedy, (much) the worse for wear, Brit down at heel, US down at the heel(s), Colloq grubby, scrubby, gungy, tacky, US grungy: He was wearing a shabby suit and down-at-heel shoes. 2 poor, peremptory, unpleasant, nasty, disagreeable, mean, contemptuous, demeaning, grudging, ungenerous, impolite, rude, unfriendly, unhelpful, shoddy, ungentlemanly, unladylike, dishonourable, unworthy, scurvy, Colloq rotten: We were subjected to very shabby treatment at the office where we applied for work. 3 dilapidated, tumbledown, broken-down, shattered, battered, run-down, ramshackle, seedy, neglected, dirty, squalid, slum-like, slummy, Colloq beat-up, crummy: Sam lives in a shabby little house near the canal. 4 mean, stingy, ungenerous, niggardly, contemptible, low, lowly, base, mean-spirited, despicable, vile, uncouth, discreditable, inferior, disreputable, infamous, abominable, dishonourable, ignoble, atrocious, ignominious, odious, detestable, opprobrious: The shabby apology for their behaviour fell on deaf ears.
shack | shack: n. hut, hovel, shanty, cabin, lean-to, Colloq dump: The shack was built out of scrap lumber and cardboard boxes.
shackle | shackle: n. 1 Often, shackles. fetter(s), leg-iron(s), chains, iron(s), bilboes, gyve(s), ball and chain, manacle(s), handcuff(s), restraint(s), bond(s), trammel(s), Colloq cuff(s), Slang bracelet(s), Brit darbies: When those shackles went round his ankles, he thought he''d never see them taken off. 2 Usually, shackles. restriction, restraint, deterrent, impediment, check, obstacle, obstruction, barrier, hindrance, bar, encumbrance: When shall we throw off the shackles of ignorant prejudice and see a truly free world? --v. 3 chain, fetter, manacle, handcuff, bind, restrain, tie, secure, truss, pinion, tether: He was shackled to the mast and whipped for disobedience. In this glorious spring weather I resent being shackled to a desk. 4 restrain, hold back, check, deter, hinder, discourage, hobble, handicap, restrict, curb, rein, bridle, control, fetter, inhibit, limit: Freedom of expression has been shackled during all those years of oppression.
shade | shade: n. 1 shadow, shadiness, dimness, duskiness, semi-darkness, gloominess, murkiness, dusk, gloom, murk, darkness, obscurity, Literary shades: We rested in the shade of an old oak to get out of the hot sun. 2 tint, tinge, tone, colour, hue, intensity: The curtains should be of a lighter shade to match the wallpaper. 3 hint, intimation, tinge, suggestion, modicum, sprinkling, soup�on, trace, suspicion, undertone, overtone, touch, speck, dash, nuance, atom, grain, scintilla, iota, jot or tittle: Did I detect a shade of sarcasm in your voice, Aloysius? 4 ghost, spectre, apparition, phantom, phantasm, spirit, wraith, vision, banshee, Colloq spook: As night came on, horrifying shades took shape amongst the leafless trees. 5 blind, window-blind, curtain, venetian blind; lampshade; screen, cover, covering, protection, veil, awning, canopy, shield, shelter, umbrella, parasol: We need shades to reduce the glare of the light. We had only a light tent as a shade against the broiling sun. 6 fraction, hair''s breadth, bit, hair, Colloq smidgen or smidgin: Try moving the picture a shade to the left. 7 variation, variety, nuance, degree: Do you really think his approval would make a shade of difference to me? 8 put (someone) in or into the shade. overshadow, exceed, surpass, outstrip, outclass, eclipse, outshine, best, better, beat, put to shame, outplay, outperform, outdo, Colloq run rings or circles around, show up: Your record time in the 1000-metre put other contenders in the shade. 9 shades. sun-glasses: Take off those shades so I can see what you are thinking. --v. 10 screen, protect, shield, shelter, cover: You should shade your eyes from the direct sunlight. 11 darken, opaque, black out, blacken: She shaded in parts of the diagram to give a better effect. 12 dim, shadow, veil, blot out, cloud, conceal, hide, obscure, shroud, screen, mask, camouflage, disguise: The house is shaded from view by trees on the south side.
shadow | shadow: n. 1 darkness, gloom, dimness, dusk, obscurity: In the shadow I could make out the dim outline of a figure. 2 cover, screen, covering, shield, veil, curtain, protection, concealment: He stole past the sentry under the shadow of darkness. 3 hint, intimation, suggestion, suspicion, trace, vestige; remnant: I do not have the slightest shadow of doubt that she is telling the truth. Martin is merely a shadow of his former robust self. 4 cloud, blight, curse: A terrible shadow has fallen upon the family name. 5 See shade, 4, above. 6 companion, alter ego, comrade, Colloq sidekick, crony, chum, (bosom) pal, US (bosom) buddy: Boswell was Johnson''s shadow for almost twenty years. --v. 7 follow, trail, track, dog, stalk, pursue, trace, Colloq tail, US and Canadian bird-dog: For a month detectives shadowed the suspect.
shadowy | shadowy: adj. 1 dark, shady, bowery, leafy, shaded, gloomy, dusky, dim, Literary bosky: The hotel bar was a shadowy place with pink lights on the tables. 2 vague, dim, dark, obscure, faint, indistinct, indefinite, hazy, ill-defined, unclear, indeterminate: The photograph was too shadowy for us to identify anyone in it. The years before he came to London are part of his shadowy past. 3 spectral, ghostly, phantom, phantasmal, wraithlike, phantasmagoric(al), illusory, dreamlike, imaginary, visionary, chimerical, hallucinatory, unreal, unsubstantial, fleeting, impalpable, transitory, ethereal, immaterial: He saw shadowy figures lurking near the tomb. The plaintiff''s case is shadowy, to say the least. 4 See shady, 2, below.
shady | shady: adj. 1 See shadowy, 1, above. 2 indistinct, indefinite, questionable, doubtful, uncertain, unreliable, suspicious, suspect, dubious, shifty, disreputable; devious, tricky, slippery, underhand(ed), unethical, unscrupulous, dishonourable, dishonest, Colloq fishy, crooked, bent, not (strictly) kosher: The minister''s shady past will be revealed in the next issue of Tribune . She got involved with some shady character who had just come out of prison.
shaft | shaft: n. 1 pole, rod, staff, stick, stem, shank, handle, helve; pillar, column, post, stanchion, upright: The shaft of the harpoon splintered as the whale suddenly plunged downwards. These shafts help support the upper storey. 2 beam, ray, gleam, streak, pencil: At exactly noon on the winter solstice a shaft of light struck the altar at the centre of the stone circle. 3 thrust, barb, sting, dart, gibe or jibe, barb, Colloq slap (in the face), knock, put-down: After the episode in the restaurant, Barbara had to suffer the shafts of her colleagues and their teasing. 4 mine-shaft, tunnel, adit, well, pit; air-shaft, duct, flue: How many men went down the shaft in the first shift? The screen over the ventilating shaft must be kept clean.
shaggy | shaggy: adj. hairy, woolly, unkempt, unshorn, uncut, hirsute, dishevelled, matted, untidy: They had a large black dog with shaggy hair and a great bushy tail.
shake | shake: v. 1 quiver, quake, shudder, waver, wobble, tremble, shiver: The poor child is shaking from the cold. 2 wiggle, wriggle, squirm, shimmy, twitch, joggle, jiggle, waggle, sway, swing, roll, bump, grind, vibrate, oscillate, pulsate, gyrate: When Lola shakes her hips the strongest men have been known to weaken. 3 weaken, undermined, impair, harm, damage, discourage; disenchant, disappoint, disaffect: The incident shook my faith in the political party I had supported all my voting life. 4 wave, brandish, flourish, display, show off, parade, exhibit, vaunt, waggle, flap, flutter: It was thrilling to see the once-banned flag being shaken under the noses of the deposed leaders. 5 Often, shake up. agitate, stir (up), mix (up); upset, distress, frighten, scare, shock, disturb, unnerve, unsettle, disconcert, discomfit, worry, fluster, disquiet, confound, confuse, perplex, puzzle, Colloq rattle, get to, US throw (for a loop): Shake the medicine before taking it. I was really shaken by the news that Sheila had quit. 6 shake down. a break in, condition, test, prove, Colloq debug: We shook down the submarine on a 30-day cruise. b blackmail, extort or extract or squeeze or wrest money from, hold up, squeeze, threaten: The shopkeepers were so frightened that the gang easily shook them down. 7 shake off. get rid of, discard, dislodge, drop, brush off, elude, evade, lose, throw off, rid oneself of, give the slip to: We finally shook off our pursuers: at last we felt safe. --n. 8 shaking, quivering, quaking, shuddering, wavering, wobbling, trembling, shivering, quiver, quake, shudder, waver, wobble, tremble, shiver, wiggle, wriggle, twitch, joggle, jiggle, sway, swing, roll, gyration: The dog gave a shake of its tail and bounded towards them. 9 agitating, agitation, shaking, stirring (up), jolt, jar, jarring, jounce, jolting, jouncing: Give him a good shake and he''ll wake up. 10 the shakes. trembling, tremors, delirium tremens, Colloq D.T.''s: She''s had so much to drink that she''s got the shakes.
shake-up | shake-up: n. reorganization, rearrangement, overhaul, revamp, restructuring, rehabilitation, make-over, realignment: With new owners you can expect a complete shake-up of top management.
shaky | shaky: adj. 1 uncertain, wobbly, unstable, precarious, unsound, flimsy, weak, unsteady, unsupported, unsubstantiated, undependable, unreliable, tenuous, untrustworthy, dubious, questionable, doubtful, Colloq iffy: The evidence against him is very shaky indeed. 2 wobbly, wobbling, unstable, precarious, dilapidated, ramshackle, on its last legs, decrepit, falling down or apart, rickety, flimsy, unsteady, insecure, unsound, unsubstantial, insubstantial, feeble: Surely, you can''t expect that shaky old chair to support your weight!
shallow | shallow: adj. 1 surface, skin-deep, superficial, thin, empty, flimsy, trivial, unimportant, slight, frivolous, idle, foolish: If you read only comic books, your thoughts are bound to be shallow. 2 Often, shallows. shoal(s), sand bar, sandbank, bank, shelf: This boat draws too much water to go fishing in the shallows.
sham | sham: n. 1 fake, fraud, counterfeit, imitation, hoax, humbug, pretence, forgery, copy, imposture, Colloq phoney or US also phony: Their call for reform is a sham, as they have no intention of disturbing the status quo. --adj. 2 fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, imitation, paste, simulated, false, make-believe, fictitious, made-up, bogus, spurious, mock, ersatz, artificial, synthetic, Colloq phoney or US also phony, pseudo: He sat there feigning interest, a sham smile on his face.
shambles | shambles: n. chaos, devastation, mess, disaster, Augean stables, pigsty, muddle, pigpen: I can''t find anything in this shambles. The campaign degenerated into a complete shambles.
shambling | shambling: adj. shuffling, lumbering, dragging, scuttling, awkward, clumsy, lurching, unsteady, faltering: The old beggar hobbled off with a shambling gait.
shame | shame: n. 1 embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, chagrin, ignominy, shamefacedness, loss of face, abashment: Watts felt abysmal shame at being discovered stealing from petty cash. 2 disgrace, ignominy, dishonour, disrepute, degradation, opprobrium, vilification, calumniation, infamy, obloquy, odium, contempt, scandal, denigration, loss of face, defamation, discredit, disesteem, disfavour, derogation, disparagement: To think that one knight''s single act of cowardice in 1249 could have brought such shame to all his descendants. 3 pity, calamity, disaster, catastrophe; outrage: What a shame that Gerry failed the exam! 4 humility, modesty, (sense of) decency or decorum or propriety, respectability, decorousness, diffidence, shyness, coyness, prudishness, timidity, shamefacedness: The people who wear bathing suits like that obviously have no shame at all. 5 put to shame. a surpass, eclipse, outclass, overshadow, cast into the shade, outdo, outstrip, outshine, show up: Cochrane put his opponents to shame when they failed to score a single point against him. b See 8, below. --v. 6 embarrass, humiliate, mortify, humble, chagrin, disconcert, discountenance, put down, bring down, abash, chasten, Colloq bring (someone) down a peg, suppress, subdue: He hated the teacher because she had shamed him in front of his friends. 7 coerce, force, drive, bully, push; embarrass, humiliate, mortify, humble: The other boys shamed him into admitting that he had done it. 8 disgrace, embarrass, dishonour, scandalize, calumniate, degrade, debase, defame, discredit, stigmatize; smear, blacken, stain, taint, besmirch, tarnish: I am sure, son, that nothing you ever do would shame the family or me.
shamefaced | shamefaced: adj. 1 bashful, shy, modest, self-effacing, diffident, timid, meek, coy, sheepish, timorous: He felt shamefaced as a schoolboy when they awarded him a medal for bravery. 2 ashamed, shamed, abashed, embarrassed, humiliated, dishonoured, mortified, humbled, chastened, chagrined, uncomfortable, discomfited, remorseful, red-faced: Shamefaced, she finally admitted the truth about where she had been.
shameful | shameful: adj. disgraceful, dishonourable, base, low, mean, vile, degrading, indecent, inglorious, deplorable, discreditable, corrupt, disreputable, infamous, ignominious, humiliating, embarrassing, mortifying, humbling, chastening, discomfiting, shaming, blameworthy, scandalous, outrageous, unprincipled: Quentin was known for his shameful behaviour both at school and in the army.
shameless | shameless: adj. wild, flagrant, unreserved, uncontrolled, immodest, wanton, indecorous, indecent, rude, improper, forward, bold, unembarrassed, unblushing, audacious, brazen, brash, unabashed, unashamed, impudent, shocking, outrageous: He was roundly condemned for his shameless neglect of his responsibilities. Her behaviour was shameless, even wanton.
shape | shape: n. 1 form, figure, build, body, physique; lines, profile, silhouette, contours: I''ve never heard anyone complain about Marilyn Monroe''s shape. 2 form, pattern, configuration, structure, aspect: The discussion is on the shape of things to come in the double-glazing trade. The new swimming-pool will be in the shape of a figure of eight. 3 form: Gradually, the shopping mall began to take shape. 4 state, condition, fettle, status, (state of) health, order, trim: When I saw Wayne yesterday, he seemed in very good shape indeed. 5 guise, disguise, form, appearance, likeness, image: Zeus visited Dan�e in the shape of a golden shower, and fathered Perseus on her. --v. 6 form, fashion, mould, cast, make, model, sculpture, sculpt; cut, carve, hew, hack, trim: Using primitive tools, they were able to shape the clay into bowls. The topiary shrubs were shaped into the forms of birds. 7 determine, give form to, control, govern, regulate, affect, condition, influence, decree, frame, define,: There are many factors that shape our future. 8 word, express, embody in words, put, formulate, form: Perhaps you could shape your question differently. 9 change, modify, remodel, accommodate, fit, adapt, adjust: The box was shaped especially for this bottle. 10 shape up. a take form, take shape, develop, evolve, proceed: The plan is shaping up very nicely. b conform, improve, progress, go or move or come along, show improvement, come up to snuff; behave better: Those who cannot shape up will have to ship out.
shapeless | shapeless: adj. 1 amorphous, formless, nebulous, unformed, indefinite, unstructured, vague: Sculptors start with a shapeless mass of clay. 2 unshapely, deformed, misshapen, distorted, twisted, bent, battered: The wreckage was a shapeless tangle of steel and mortar.
shapely | shapely: adj. curvaceous, comely, well-proportioned, graceful, neat, well turned out, good-looking, pleasing; voluptuous, Colloq sexy: That slinky black dress certainly sets off her shapely figure to advantage.
share | share: n. 1 portion, allotment, division, apportionment, allocation, ration, appropriation, dispensation, allowance, part, due, percentage, interest, dividend, quota, portion, helping, serving, Colloq cut: Each of us is entitled to a share in the profits. We made sure that all participants got their shares. 2 interest, piece, part, stake, equity, slice: Do you own any shares in the stock market? My share in United Telephone is worth twice what I paid for it. --v. 3 share out, divide up, allot, apportion, allocate, ration, appropriate, share in, split, partition, parcel or deal or dole out, pay out: Ownership in the company is shared equally among the employees. Let''s just take one car, and share the expenses.
sharp | sharp: adj. 1 acute, keen; razor-sharp, knife-like, knife-edged, sharpened; pointed, needle-sharp: How do you keep the telescope in sharp focus? You need an extremely sharp knife for boning fish. This pencil isn''t sharp enough. 2 abrupt, sudden, precipitous, sheer, vertical, marked: Just round the corner is a sharp dip in the road. There was a sharp rise in prices on the London Stock Exchange today. 3 keen, keen-witted, keen-minded, sharp-witted, shrewd, intelligent, smart, alert, bright, quick, agile, astute, clever, on the qui vive, penetrating, observant: Penny has a very sharp mind and a good eye for detail. 4 caustic, bitter, biting, acrid, hot, spicy, pungent, piquant, tangy, harsh, sour, acid, acidulous, tart: That lemon sorbet is a little too sharp for my taste. 5 acid, acidulous, acerbic, vitriolic, acrimonious, cutting, piquant, biting, bitter, unkind, strict, hurtful, spiteful, virulent, sarcastic, sardonic, trenchant, severe, scathing, malicious, nasty, malignant, venomous, poisonous: How does one escape the sharp comments of the critics? She was unprepared for the sharp exchange between the guests on her chat show. 6 clever, shrewd, artful, crafty, sly, cunning, foxy, calculating, unscrupulous, dishonest, Colloq sneaky, fly: There is evidence that the stock manipulators were engaged in very sharp practice. 7 high-pitched, shrill, penetrating, piercing, strident, harsh, ear-splitting, loud: Jane gave a sharp cry when she felt the ice break under her feet. 8 poignant, severe, cutting, intense, sudden, piercing, extreme, acute, fierce: Complaining of a sharp pain in his chest, he fell down. 9 chic, dapper, spruce, stylish, smart, fashionable, dressy, Colloq snappy, natty, classy, nifty, swell, swanky: If you want to see the latest collection of sharp clothes, go to the disco. --adv. 10 sharply, precisely, exactly, punctually, on the dot, Colloq on the button, US on the nose: Our appointment was for seven o''clock sharp. 11 sharply, suddenly, abruptly: I was pulled up sharp by her mention of the Black Rose. 12 sharply, alertly, attentively, vigilantly, watchfully, carefully: Listen sharp to what I tell you.
sharpen | sharpen: v. hone, grind, strop, whet: Of what use is a knife if you don''t sharpen it periodically?
sharp-eyed | sharp-eyed: adj. sharp-sighted, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed, lynx-eyed, gimlet-eyed, keen-sighted, wide awake, wakeful, watchful, observant, (on the) alert, on the qui vive, wary, circumspect, Argus-eyed, cautious, careful: It takes quite a sharp-eyed person to check the accuracy of these circuits.
sharply | sharply: adv. 1 severely, sternly, harshly, cuttingly, acerbically, peremptorily, angrily, strictly, firmly: Her teacher sharply rebuked Hilary for smiling. 2 suddenly, quickly, abruptly, precipitously, precipitately: Prices increased sharply for the third day in succession. 3 acutely, distinctly, definitely, definitively: These new cameras automatically remain sharply focused on the object.
shatter | shatter: v. 1 disintegrate, burst, pulverize, shiver, smash, demolish, break (to smithereens), splinter, fragment, fracture, dash to pieces: If you hadn''t caught the vase, it would have shattered into a million pieces. 2 destroy, ruin, devastate, wreck, dash, crush, demolish, torpedo, undermine, blast: Any dreams he might have had of being published were shattered by the rejection letter. 3 upset, disturb, perturb, trouble, unnerve, overcome, overwhelm, crush, devastate, depress, deject, rattle, shake (up), unsettle, agitate, confound, confuse, stupefy, daze, stun, paralyse, Colloq throw: He was shattered by the news of Mill''s death.
shave | shave: v. 1 shear (off), cut (off), trim, clip, crop, snip off, remove: He made a mistake in shaving off his beard, as it hid his weak chin. 2 pare, scrape, plane, whittle: If you shave just a hair off this side, it will fit into the hole. --n. 3 close shave. narrow escape, Colloq narrow or near squeak, US squeaker: That was a close shave! - You almost fell out the window!
shed� | shed�: n. lean-to, shelter, structure, addition, penthouse, hut, shack, stall, booth, pen, cote, hutch: The tools are in the shed alongside the barn.
shed� | shed�: v. 1 spill: Much blood has been shed in the name of freedom. 2 shine, spread, scatter, throw, cast, let fall, impart, release, focus, pour forth, let fall, radiate: Can you shed a little light on a matter that has puzzled me for years? 3 pour or stream or flow or surge or spill (out or forth), discharge, emanate, emit, drop; exude, ooze, weep: The clouds shed their snow and the world below turned white. Don''t shed any tears over me. 4 cast off, doff, drop, abandon; moult, defoliate, desquamate, peel (off), flake (off): The trees shed their leaves. She rushed into the bathroom, shedding her clothes as she went.
sheen | sheen: n. shine, gleam, polish, lustre, shininess, burnish, brightness, gloss, glow, glimmer, shimmer, radiance, glint, dazzle: The sheen of the horse''s coat glistened in the sunlight.
sheepish | sheepish: adj. 1 timid, withdrawn, passive, docile, obedient, compliant, sheeplike, manipulable, tractable, pliable, meek, amenable: Dashworth might seem sheepish but he doesn''t like to be bullied. 2 See shamefaced, above.
sheer | sheer: adj. 1 steep, precipitous, abrupt, perpendicular, bluff, vertical: There is a sheer drop of 2000 feet to the valley below. 2 absolute, unmitigated, unqualified, downright, out-and-out, unalloyed, unadulterated, pure, unmixed, plain, simple, rank, total, complete, arrant, thorough, thoroughgoing, utter: Johnson said that he had got his definition of ''pastern'' wrong out of ''sheer ignorance''. 3 transparent, see-through, thin, diaphanous, filmy, gauzy, gossamer, translucent, peekaboo: Kathryn was wearing the sheer nightgown he had given her for her birthday.
sheet | sheet: n. 1 bed-sheet, crib-sheet, fitted sheet, flat sheet, US contour sheet: How often do you change the sheets on your bed? 2 leaf, folio, page: He tore a sheet of paper from the notebook. 3 pane, panel, plate, slab: The desk has a sheet of glass on top for protection. 4 lamina, lamination, layer, stratum, veneer, membrane: Plywood is made up of a number of thin sheets of pressed wood bonded together for strength. 5 area, expanse, stretch, layer, film, coat, coating, covering, blanket, cover, surface, skin, veneer: The sheet of ice on the road made driving hazardous. 6 newspaper, journal, paper, tabloid, gazette, daily, weekly, monthly, Colloq rag: Have you got a copy of the sheet that published the article about you?
shell | shell: n. 1 cartridge, projectile, shot: We huddled in the foxhole as the shells whistled overhead. 2 exterior, outside, fa�ade, framework, frame, chassis, externals, skeleton, hull: After the earthquake, only the shell of the building was left standing. --v. 3 shuck, husk, peel, hull, excorticate, decorticate: Would you mind shelling the peas while I peel the potatoes? 4 fire on or upon, bombard, barrage, attack, bomb, blitz, cannonade, Slang Brit prang: The enemy shelled our position relentlessly. 5 shell out. pay out, give out, disburse, spend, expend, hand over, hand out, Colloq lay out, fork out, dish out, Chiefly US ante up: I had to shell out a month''s salary for that suit.
shelter | shelter: n. 1 protection, cover, refuge, asylum, sanctuary, haven, safety, security: During the hailstorm, we sought shelter in a cave. 2 cover, covering, concealment, screen, umbrella: Under the shelter of a moonless night, they stole quietly past the guards. 3 dwelling-place, habitation, home, dwelling, housing, accommodation: He feels that everyone is entitled to food, clothing, and shelter. --v. 4 protect, screen, shield, safeguard, guard, keep, secure, harbour: The parapet sheltered the guards from the icy wind. 5 seek or take refuge or shelter, hole up, Colloq lie or lay low: Mike sheltered in a mountain hut until the hue and cry died down.
shelve | shelve: v. postpone, defer, put off or aside or on ice or on the shelf, pigeon-hole, lay aside, hold in abeyance, US table: We will have to shelve this matter until we have more information.
shepherd | shepherd: v. lead, convoy, escort, conduct, guide, usher, take, pursue: I want you, personally, to shepherd Miss Jones through the plant. As this project requires special care, I shall shepherd it through personally.
shibboleth | shibboleth: n. password, catchword, catch-phrase, buzz-word, byword, watchword, jargon: As Simon knew none of the shibboleths of teenagers'' slang, he remained an outsider to his classmates.
shield | shield: n. 1 protection, guard, safeguard, defence, screen, bulwark, shelter: Education is a poor shield against poverty. --v. 2 protect, guard, safeguard, keep, defend, screen, shelter: The mother bear will shield the cubs from harm or die in the attempt.
shift | shift: v. 1 move, change position; edge, budge, relocate, rearrange, transpose, switch: Shift the picture slightly to the left. Marla shifted over closer to me on the bench. I almost broke my leg because you shifted the chair as I was about to sit on it. 2 Usually, shift for (oneself). manage, succeed, make do, look after, take care of, get or scrape by or along, fend for (oneself), make it, paddle one''s own canoe: Cyril prefers to live alone and shift for himself. 3 sell, market, move: The object of advertising is to shift merchandise. --n. 4 hours, stint, schedule; workforce, relay, crew, cadre, staff, workers, squad, team, corps, group, party, gang: I prefer to work the morning shift. The night shift comes on at 1600. 5 change, movement, switch, transfer, swerve, deflection, veer: Owing to a wind shift, it became impossible to manoeuvre among the rocks. 6 smock, chemise, muu-muu; caftan or kaftan: A light cotton shift is the most comfortable thing to wear in such scorching weather.
shiftless | shiftless: adj. unambitious, lazy, indolent, uninspired, unmotivated, idle, lackadaisical, irresponsible, uncaring, unenterprising, aimless, slothful, otiose, ineffective, ne''er-do-well, good-for-nothing, fain�ant, pococurante: He calls Geoff a shiftless vagabond, virtually a tautology.
shifty | shifty: adj. tricky, artful, shrewd, canny, cunning, foxy, wily, sharp, devious, slick, evasive, smooth, slippery, scheming, designing, conniving, calculating, underhand(ed), conspiratorial, treacherous, traitorous, deceitful, deceiving, duplicitous, two-faced, Janus-faced, dishonest, crooked, untrustworthy, Colloq bent: The shifty scoundrel gave me a bad cheque and did a moonlight flit.
shilly-shally | shilly-shally: v. hem and haw, dilly-dally, teeter-totter, see-saw, yo-yo, vacillate, waver, alternate, fluctuate, dither, falter, tergiversate, Brit haver, hum and haw, Scots swither; delay, hesitate, dawdle: Stop shilly-shallying and decide whether you want chocolate or strawberry!
shimmer | shimmer: v. 1 shine, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, glisten, ripple, flicker: The desert shimmered like a lake under the relentless sun. --n. 2 shimmering, shine, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, gloss, flicker, light: As Julia slunk up to the microphone, the spotlight picked up the shimmer from her black satin gown.
shin | shin: v. Usually, shin up. climb, clamber up, scramble up, scale, US shinny up: The lad shinned up the flag-pole carrying the banner.
shine | shine: v. 1 gleam, glow, shimmer, radiate, beam, glare, flare, glisten, glitter, coruscate, twinkle, sparkle, scintillate, glint, flash, flicker: The light of a candle shone from her window. The stars are shining brightly. I want that brass polished till it shines. 2 polish, burnish, rub (up or down), buff, brush, brighten: You''d best shine your shoes before going for the job interview. 3 excel, surpass, stand out, outshine, be outstanding or pre-eminent or excellent or prominent or conspicuous: She had shone at tennis from a very early age, and first entered Wimbledon when she was twelve. --n. 4 gleam, glow, shimmer, sparkle, brightness, radiance, gloss, lustre, sheen, glaze, patina: That shine was achieved with a little wax and elbow-grease. 5 take a shine to. like, be attracted to, take a fancy to, fancy: Her Great Dane has taken a shine to me and likes to sit on my lap.
shiny | shiny: adj. gleaming, glowing, shimmering, glossy, shimmery, lustrous, glassy, radiant, bright, beaming, glistening, polished, burnished, glittering, dazzling, coruscating, twinkling, sparkling, scintillating, glinting, flashing, flashy, flickering, lambent, fulgent: She loves riding about in her shiny new car.
ship | ship: n. 1 vessel, (ocean or passenger) liner, steamer, wind-jammer, cutter: The statue is dedicated to the men who go down to the sea in ships. --v. 2 send, move, ferry, transport, deliver, carry, dispatch or despatch, freight, haul, truck, cart: You need a specialized company that ships computers and other delicate equipment. 3 ship out. leave, depart, embark, set sail, take off, get out, quit, Slang scram: You''ll ship out if you know what''s good for you.
shipshape | shipshape: adj. neat, trim, spotless, orderly, Bristol fashion, spick and span, tidy: Pick up your clothes and make this room shipshape at once!
shirk | shirk: v. avoid, evade, shun, dodge, get out of, shrink from, Colloq duck (out of), Brit skive, Military Brit scrimshank, US gold brick: Stop shirking your responsibilities and get to work! Is Callum shirking again?
shiver� | shiver�: v. 1 shake, quake, tremble, shudder, quiver: We sat in our wet clothes, shivering in the cold. The old shack shivered in the wind. 2 vibrate, luff, flap, flutter, chatter, rattle, shake, wallop: The sails shivered violently in the stiff breeze. --n. 3 shake, quake, tremble, shudder, quiver, thrill, frisson, trembling, tremor, flutter: She gave a little shiver and then snuggled into my arms. 4 the shivers. trembling, shivering, goose-pimples or goose bumps, Colloq the shakes, US the chills: He''s had malaria and occasionally gets the shivers. Those horror films give me the shivers.
shiver� | shiver�: v. shatter, fragment, splinter, disintegrate, rupture, explode, implode, smash (to smithereens), crash: The light-bulb fell and shivered into a million fragments.
shock | shock: v. 1 startle, surprise, stagger, jar, jolt, shake (up), stun, numb, paralyse, daze, stupefy, dumbfound or dumfound, bowl over, appal, astonish, astound, frighten, scare, petrify, traumatize, horrify, outrage, disgust, nauseate, repel, revolt, sicken, upset, disquiet, disturb, perturb, discompose, unsettle, Colloq throw, US throw for a loop, flabbergast, give (someone) a turn: He shocked us when he announced his resignation. We were shocked to learn of the train wreck. --n. 2 trauma, stupor, paralysis, prostration, breakdown, collapse, nervous exhaustion: He is in a state of shock after the accident. 3 surprise, thunderbolt, bolt from the blue, bombshell, revelation, shocker, eye-opener, jolt: It came as a shock to learn whom I had been talking to so casually. The death of her husband was a terrible shock. 4 tingle, jolt, impact: You''ll get a nasty shock if you touch those wires.
shocking | shocking: adj. 1 surprising, astounding, astonishing, amazing, striking, stupefying, numbing, sudden, unexpected, electrifying, startling, Colloq mind-boggling, mind-blowing: It was shocking to see the way the neighbourhood had deteriorated. 2 disgusting, revolting, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, repulsive, abominable, hideous, horrible, horrifying, horrific, horrid, foul, loathsome, abhorrent, ghastly, hideous, unspeakable, dreadful, distressing, outrageous, appalling, monstrous, scandalous: The conditions in the concentration camps were shocking.
shoddy | shoddy: adj. shabby, tatty, inferior, poor, rubbishy, cheap, pinchbeck, meretricious, tawdry, gaudy, Brummagem, plastic, artificial, tinsel, tinselly, second-rate, trashy, junky, Colloq crappy, cheapjack, tacky, US chintzy: They can''t get away for long with selling such shoddy merchandise.
shoo | shoo: interjection. 1 Scat!, Go away!, Away with you!, Be off!, Get out!, Begone!, Colloq Get lost!, Beat it!, Scram!: I shouted ''Shoo!'' and the chickens scattered. --v. 2 Often, shoo away or off. scare off, frighten away, drive away, force to leave: She shoos away anyone who disturbs her while she is painting.
shoot | shoot: v. 1 scoot, dart, whisk, speed, bolt, run, race, rush, flash, fly, dash, hurtle, streak, scuttle, bound, leap, spring, Colloq zip, whiz: The instant the baby cried out, its mother shot over to protect it. 2 discharge, fire, open fire; let fly, launch, propel, project, fling, hurl, throw, toss: Don''t shoot till you see the whites of their eyes! With all his strength he shot the arrow into the beast''s neck. 3 wound, hurt, harm, injure; kill, slay, assassinate, execute, Slang fill or pump full of lead, plug, blast, zap, knock off, snuff (out): He insulted her, so she shot him. He''s to be shot at sunrise. 4 sprout, germinate, burgeon, flourish, grow, spring up, mushroom, develop: Owing to the perfect weather, the corn shot up very quickly. --n. 5 sprout, stem, bud, branch, offshoot, slip, scion, sucker: If you want fruit, the new shoots have to be pinched back.
shop | shop: n. 1 store, boutique, department store: Would you stop at the shop and buy some lettuce? 2 workshop, machine shop: Henry gained experience in operating a lathe at my father''s shop. --v. 3 betray, inform on or against, Slang peach on, rat on, snitch on, blow the whistle on: The police persuaded Luke to shop his accomplices in exchange for a lighter sentence. 4 shop for. buy, purchase, seek, look for, research: I''ve been shopping for a new dishwasher.
short | short: adj. 1 small, little, slight, petite, diminutive, wee, tiny, elfin, minuscule; midget, dwarfish, squat, dumpy, runty, stubby, stunted, Colloq pint-sized, knee-high to a grasshopper, sawn-off: Did you know that Queen Victoria was quite short? 2 shortened, brief, concise, compressed, compendious, compact, pocket, US vest-pocket; abbreviated, abridged, cut: A short version of the book was published in paperback. 3 laconic, terse, succinct, pithy, sententious, epigrammatic: He made a few short remarks that were very much to the point. 4 abrupt, curt, terse, sharp, blunt, bluff, brusque, sharp, offhand, gruff, testy, snappish, discourteous, uncivil, impolite: It is unnecessary to be so short with the staff. 5 direct, straight, straightforward, short and sweet: In reply to your request for permission to leave early, the short answer is ''No''. 6 Usually, short of. deficient (in), lacking (in), needful (of), wanting, inadequate, shy (of), low (on): The hotel is short of clean linen because the laundry failed to deliver. 7 brief, limited; transitory, temporary, short-lived, momentary, quick, transient: HQ had a short life but a happy one. I''ll just make a short stop in here and will join you in a moment. 8 impecunious, straitened, pinched, underfunded, poor, penniless, deficient: I''m a bit short today and wonder if you could lend me some money? 9 in short supply. rare, scarce, scanty, unplentiful, meagre, sparse, Colloq chiefly Brit thin on the ground: Good editors are in short supply these days. 10 short of. before, failing, excluding, exclusive of, barring, eliminating, precluding, excepting, except for, leaving out, apart from, setting aside: Short of killing him, I am not sure what she could have done in the circumstances. --adv. 11 abruptly, suddenly, peremptorily, without warning, instantly, unexpectedly, hurriedly, hastily, out of the blue: She stopped short in the middle of the road and made me get out. 12 cut short. a trim, curtail, shorten, abbreviate, cut: I must cut my visit short because I have a train to catch. b stop, cut off, terminate, cut in on, break in on, interrupt; butt in: I am sorry to cut you short, but it is getting on for midnight. 13 fall or come short. fail, be or prove inadequate or insufficient: These grades fall short of our expectations, Bobby. --n. 14 in short. briefly, in a word, all in all, to make a long story short, in a nutshell: He told me, in short, that there was no job and there never had been one. 15 shorts. Bermuda shorts, knee-breeches, knee-pants, hot pants: I usually wear shorts to play tennis.
shortage | shortage: n. deficit, deficiency, shortfall, dearth, scarcity, lack, want, paucity: They are predicting a shortage of water again this summer.
shortcoming | shortcoming: n. failure, defect, deficiency, weakness, frailty, drawback, liability, imperfection, weak point, flaw: One might justifiably regard colour-blindness as a shortcoming in an interior decorator.
shorten | shorten: v. 1 cut, curtail, cut off or down or short, reduce, diminish, trim; lop off, dock, prune; hem: Please shorten the time you spend in the bathroom in the mornings. This skirt has already been shortened. 2 condense, abridge, abbreviate, digest, compress: Can one shorten the book without losing too much of the characterization?
short-lived | short-lived: adj. ephemeral, evanescent, temporary, fleeting, transitory, transient, passing, fugacious, volatile: He enjoyed a short-lived reputation that died with him.
shortly | shortly: adv. 1 soon, presently, anon, before long, in a (little) while, by and by, Archaic ere long: I''ll see you shortly. 2 just, immediately, soon, right: We had dinner with him shortly before he went abroad. 3 abruptly, briefly, peremptorily, curtly, brusquely, sharply, tersely, testily, gruffly, rudely, tartly: ''Leave me alone'', said Bill shortly.
short-sighted | short-sighted: adj. 1 near-sighted, myopic, dim-sighted: He wears thick spectacles because he''s so short-sighted. 2 unimaginative, unprogressive, improvident, imprudent, injudicious, rash, brash, impulsive, reckless, impolitic, limited, unwary, incautious, careless, thoughtless, unmindful: Lewis''s short-sighted view makes no provision for the future.
short-staffed | short-staffed: adj. undermanned, short-handed, understaffed: We are usually short-staffed during the summer because of the holiday schedules.
short-tempered | short-tempered: adj. testy, irascible, short, curt, abrupt, gruff, peremptory, bluff, rude, tart, acid, acidulous, terse, brusque, crabbed, crabby, irritable, touchy, petulant, peevish, bearish, snappish, waspish, shrewish, curmudgeonly, crusty, surly, discourteous, grouchy, disagreeable, caustic, acrimonious, acerbic: Henry is often short-tempered if he has slept badly.
short-winded | short-winded: adj. short of or out of breath, winded, breathless, panting, huffing (and puffing), gasping (for air or for breath), Technical dyspnoeal: He is very short-winded because he smokes too much.
shot | shot: n. 1 discharge, shooting: The town was captured without a shot being fired. 2 bullet, ball, slug, cannon-ball, buckshot, pellet, projectile, missile: A dumdum bullet is a piece of soft shot with a hollowed-out nose. 3 attempt, try, opportunity, chance, go, essay, endeavour, guess, conjecture, Colloq stab, crack, whack: You are allowed three shots at the answer. 4 marksman, markswoman, sharpshooter, sniper, rifleman: Geraghty is an excellent shot and favourite for an Olympic gold. 5 photograph, snapshot, picture, Colloq snap, photo: Miller took some excellent action shots using stroboscopic lighting. 6 injection, inoculation, vaccination: The doctor gave me a flu shot this morning. 7 drink, jigger, tot, dram, nip, spot, swallow, Colloq finger, swig, slug, snort: Will you have a shot of whisky with me, Muldoon? 8 (space) launch or launching: The moon shot scheduled for today has been postponed owing to technical difficulties. 9 call the shots. run or direct or manage or administer or control things or affairs or matters, run the show, rule the roost, be in command or the driver''s seat: Ravelli calls the shots around here, and don''t you forget it. 10 like a shot. quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, hurriedly, hastily, at once, like a flash, immediately, instantly, instantaneously, Colloq in two shakes of a lamb''s tail, like greased lightning, before you can say ''Jack Robinson'': All I had to do was mention ice-cream, and the children were in here like a shot. 11 (not) by a long shot. no way, under no circumstances, by no means, on no account, by no chance, never: You ask if he can get elected and my response is, ''Not by a long shot''. 12 shot in the arm. boost, stimulus, encouragement, incentive, inducement, provocation, motivation: The team needs a shot in the arm to improve morale.
shoulder | shoulder: n. 1 side, edge, verge, margin; breakdown lane: If you have a flat tyre, drive onto the hard shoulder and phone for help. 2 give (someone) the cold shoulder. rebuff, snub, ostracize, send (someone) to Coventry, cold-shoulder, put (someone) down, reject, exclude, freeze (someone) out, shun, avoid, Colloq cut (dead): After his court case, they gave Nicholas the cold shoulder at his club. 3 put (one''s or the) shoulder to the wheel. make every effort, make an effort, strive, work hard, pitch in, apply oneself, roll up one''s sleeves, set or get to work, Colloq knuckle down, buckle down: If we put our shoulders to the wheel, we ought to be able to get our candidate elected. 4 rub shoulders (with). associate (with), hobnob (with), socialize (with), consort (with), mix (with), fraternize (with), keep company (with): Once in a while, she condescends to come down and rub shoulders with the common people. 5 shoulder to shoulder. side by side, united, as one, cooperatively, jointly, arm in arm, hand in hand, in partnership: If we fight shoulder to shoulder, we can defeat this menace and regain our freedom. 6 straight from the shoulder. directly, straightforwardly, candidly, frankly, honestly, openly, unabashedly, unashamedly, unambiguously, unequivocally, plainly, bluntly, man to man, (with) no holds barred, outright, Colloq without beating about the bush, without pulling (any) punches: I want to tell you, straight from the shoulder, Willie, you''re the best pal in the world. --v. 7 push, shove, jostle, hustle, thrust aside, elbow, force: She shouldered everyone aside roughly to fight her way to the bargain counter. 8 support, carry, bear, take upon oneself, take on, accept, assume: Are you ready to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for a family?
shout | shout: v. 1 yell, scream, bellow, bawl, howl, roar, cry (out), call (out), whoop, Colloq holler: We lined up when the sergeant shouted out our names. --n. 2 yell, scream, bellow, howl, yelp, roar, cry, call, whoop, Colloq holler: Nobody on shore could hear the boys'' shouts when their boat capsized.
show | show: v. 1 display, present, expose, demonstrate, indicate, exhibit, manifest, (lay) bare, disclose, reveal, betray, make known, divulge, register, express, make clear or plain or manifest, elucidate, clarify, explain: Show your identification as you enter. Your persistent refusal to associate with Dominic shows how you feel very clearly. They showed me how the new machine works. 2 escort, accompany, conduct, usher, lead, guide, direct; steer: Please show Mr Sorenson to his table. 3 prove, demonstrate, confirm, corroborate, verify, substantiate, bear out, certify, authenticate: This signature shows that the will was signed personally by your father. 4 teach, instruct, tell, inform, let (someone) in on, give (someone) an idea of: Would you please show me how to use this washing-machine? 5 appear, become or be visible, peek through, can or may be seen: The floor was showing through a hole in the carpet. 6 exhibit, reveal, indicate, display, register: A thermometer shows the temperature, a barometer the atmospheric pressure. 7 make an appearance, appear, show up, arrive, come: Do you really think that the Jack Nicholson will show at the club tonight? 8 represent, symbolize, depict, portray, picture, illustrate: This drawing shows what happens to children who bite their fingernails. 9 present, play, put on, stage, screen; be (being) presented or played or playing or put on or staged or screened: They are showing The Maltese Falcon at the local cinema. What is showing there tomorrow? 10 grant, accord, bestow: They finally showed mercy and let the hostages go. 11 show off. make an exhibit or a spectacle of, flaunt, advertise, display, parade; pose, swagger, posture, boast, brag, US and Canadian grandstand: They invited us to show off their new house. Quilty shows off too much for my taste. 12 show up. a expose, give away, reveal: His collection of animal trophies shows him up for what he really is. b stand out, be conspicuous, be noticeable, contrast: The white dress shows up nicely against your suntan. c embarrass, (put to) shame, mortify, upstage, overshadow, outshine, eclipse: John only runs in the marathon to show me up. --n. 13 display, demonstration, exhibition, exposition, fair, presentation, Colloq expo: There will be a computer show at the convention centre next week. 14 production, presentation, drama, musical, entertainment: We flew to New York for a week to see a few Broadway shows. 15 ostentation, display, appearance, pretentiousness, pretension, affectation: Those paintings are there just for show, not because they enjoy art.
showdown | showdown: n. confrontation, climax, moment of truth, final settlement, moment of decision, US face-off: It''s come to the point where we must have a showdown about who''s boss.
shower | shower: n. 1 sprinkle, sprinkling, drizzle: Scattered showers are predicted for this afternoon. 2 deluge, torrent, flood, stream, barrage, overflow, abundance, profusion: Showers of confetti rained on the parade from the offices. --v. 3 sprinkle, rain, pour, spray, bombard, fall, descend, drop: Debris and ash from the volcano showered down on the village. 4 lavish, inundate, overwhelm, heap, load (down): On return from her triumphant tour, Sylvia was showered with gifts and praise.
showman | showman: n. producer, impresario, director: P. T. Barnum was possibly the greatest showman in modern history.
show-off | show-off: n. braggart, exhibitionist, swaggerer, egotist, boaster, Colloq blowhard, windbag: Sit down and stop being such a show-off, Tetsworth.
showy | showy: adj. flashy, garish, flamboyant, conspicuous, ostentatious, pretentious, bravura, gaudy, US show-off; elaborate, fancy, florid, ornate, fussy, intricate, baroque, rococo, Byzantine, arabesque: Their house is very showy, with gargoyles and lions and unicorns everywhere you look.
shred | shred: n. 1 scrap, fragment, bit, tatter, sliver, snippet, rag, remnant, chip, piece; atom, trace, whit, grain, jot or tittle, scintilla, trace, hint, suggestion, iota, speck: We found shreds from his shirt caught on the thorn-bushes. There isn''t a shred of evidence to suggest that she killed him. --v. 2 fragment, tear (up), tatter, rip (up); destroy, demolish; throw away, dispose of, scrap, US trash: At the news of the break-in, he dashed to his office and shredded the incriminating evidence.
shrew | shrew: n. harridan, virago, termagant, vixen, scold, fishwife, nag, fury, spitfire, maenad, harpy, witch, hag, crone, hell-cat, beldam, bitch, banshee, Xanthippe, Thyiad or Thyad, Colloq battleaxe, dragon: His mother is an old shrew who does nothing but complain all the time.
shrewd | shrewd: adj. clever, smart, astute, cunning, canny, acute, sharp, keen-minded, keen, quick-witted, crafty, artful, manipulative, calculating, calculated, foxy, sly, wily, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, discerning, wise, sage, sagacious, long-headed, intelligent, ingenious, Daedalian, inventive, resourceful: He is a shrewd politician, very good at knowing exactly what people want to hear him say.
shriek | shriek: n. 1 scream, cry, screech, squeal, squawk, squall: The girls collapsed in shrieks of laughter. --v. 2 scream, cry, screech, squeal, squawk, squall: It is very boring to listen to one''s neighbours shrieking at each other day and night.
shrill | shrill: adj. high-pitched, ear-splitting, piercing, ear-piercing, sharp, piping, screeching, screechy, penetrating: She let out a shrill cry when she saw what had happened.
shrink | shrink: v. 1 wither, shrivel (up), contract: My woollen pullover shrank because you washed it in hot water. 2 Often, shrink from. withdraw (from), draw back, recoil (from), back away (from), retreat (from), cower, cringe, flinch, shy away (from), wince, balk (at): Once committed to a responsibility, nothing could persuade Ella to shrink from it.
shrivel | shrivel: v. Often, shrivel up. shrink, wrinkle, pucker (up), curl (up), wizen, contract; wither, wilt, dry up, desiccate, dehydrate: The soil had dried up and all the plants had shrivelled.
shroud | shroud: v. 1 screen, veil, mask, disguise, camouflage, cover, shield, blanket, shade, hide, conceal, protect, cloak, swathe, wrap, envelop: The tanks were shrouded from view in the forest. His activities are shrouded in mystery. --n. 2 winding-sheet, cerement, cerecloth, grave-clothes: They wrapped his body in a shroud and buried him in the churchyard. 3 veil, cover, shield, cloak, blanket, mask, mantle, pall, screen, covering, cloud: A shroud of secrecy descended over the Morocco affair.
shrubbery | shrubbery: n. shrubs, planting(s), hedge(s), hedging, hedgerow, thicket, underbrush, brake, bracken, undergrowth, coppice or copse: The fox lay low in the shrubbery till the dogs flushed him out.
shudder | shudder: v. 1 quiver, shake, tremble, shiver, jerk, convulse, quaver, quake; vibrate, rattle: I shudder to think what he might do next. Olive slammed on the brakes and the ancient car shuddered to a stop. --n. 2 quiver, shake, tremble, twitch, shiver, convulsion, paroxysm, spasm, quaver, quake; vibration, rattle: He gave a shudder at the prospect of having to clean out the stable.
shuffle | shuffle: v. 1 mix (up), intermix, disarrange, rearrange, interfile, intersperse, jumble, confuse; shift (about), mess up, turn topsy-turvy, scatter, disorganize: I shall cut the cards after you have shuffled them. Osbert shuffled the papers on his desk. 2 scuff or drag (one''s feet), scrape along, shamble: The boy shuffled into the headmaster''s office, guilt written all over his face. 3 equivocate, hem and haw, bumble, shift, cavil, fence, be evasive or shifty, dodge, niggle, split hairs, quibble, prevaricate, Brit hum and haw, Colloq waffle: The suspect shuffled when asked the names of his accomplices. --n. 4 shamble, shambling, scuffling, scraping: Whenever he was lying, he did a funny little shuffle with his feet. 5 sidestep, evasion, subterfuge, trick, dodge, shift, prevarication, quibble, shuffling: Tell me what you''ve done with the money - and no shuffle!
shun | shun: v. avoid, keep or shy away from, steer clear of, eschew, shrink from, fight shy of, run or turn (away) from, flee or escape from; forgo, give up; disdain, spurn, rebuff, reject, cold-shoulder, give the cold shoulder to: After her experience, Penelope shunned the company of men for several years.
shut | shut: v. 1 close, fasten, secure, shut up; lock, bolt, seal: Come in and shut the door. 2 shut down. close down, discontinue, cease, suspend, halt, leave off, shut up; switch or turn or shut off, stop: We shut down operations at the Enfield factory last week. Make sure you shut down the machinery before leaving. 3 shut in. a confine, seclude, keep in, pen, fence in, secure: We shut the dog in before we went out. b See 6, (a), below. 4 shut off. a switch or turn off, shut down, Colloq kill, douse, cut (off): They shut off the lights while I was shaving. b separate, isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester, bar, shut out, cut off, send to Coventry: The more violent cases are shut off in another wing. c close (off), shut (down): To save on heating, we shut off part of the house in the winter. 5 shut out. a exclude, eliminate, bar, debar, lock out, ban, keep out or away, disallow, prohibit: Aliens without work permits are shut out from employment. We shut out all hooligans and rowdies. b keep out, screen, exclude, block out, cut out: This window shade shuts out the direct sunlight. c screen, mask, hide, conceal, veil, cover: The house is shut out from view by the hedge. 6 shut up. a confine, shut in, coop (up), cage (in), bottle up, box in; imprison, jail, incarcerate, intern, immure: People suspected of being subversives were shut up during the war. b silence, keep quiet, stifle, mute, gag, shush, Chiefly Brit quieten: As soon as Colin wants to say something, Sidonie shuts him up. c See 1, above. d See 2, above. --adj. 7 closed (up), sealed (up), locked (up), bolted, fastened: There is not much hope of penetrating their shut minds on this issue.
shuttle | shuttle: v. commute, alternate: He shuttles daily between London and Paris.
shy | shy: adj. 1 diffident, coy, bashful, retiring, withdrawn, withdrawing, reserved, timid, meek, modest, sheepish, unconfident, self-conscious, introverted, nervous, apprehensive, timorous, Rare verecund: Casey is quite shy and you have to draw him out gently. 2 timorous, cautious, wary, chary, leery, guarded, afraid, fearful, frightened, anxious, worried, suspicious, distrustful, cowardly, craven, uncourageous: The local people are shy of anyone or anything unfamiliar. 3 missing, lacking, deficient in, short of: The shipment is shy a few dozen shoelaces we ordered. --adv. 4 fight shy of. avoid, be unwilling or reluctant or averse or loath or loth or disinclined or not disposed; be wary or cautious or watchful: The children fight shy of talking to strangers.
