shirkshirk /ʃɜːk $ ʃɜːrk/ verb [intransitive, transitive] 
He was fired for shirking.shirk your responsibilities/duties/obligations parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children—shirker noun [countable]
WORD ORIGINshirk
Origin:
1600-1700 Perhaps from German schurke ‘bad man’VERB TABLE
shirk
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | shirk |
| he, she, it | shirks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | shirked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have shirked |
| he, she, it | has shirked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had shirked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will shirk |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have shirked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am shirking |
| he, she, it | is shirking | |
| you, we, they | are shirking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was shirking |
| you, we, they | were shirking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been shirking |
| he, she, it | has been shirking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been shirking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be shirking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been shirking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- John doesn't want to go to war, but he won't shirk his duty.
- Our father never shirked his responsibilities.
- We don't want anyone shirking round here -- everyone is expected to earn their pay.
- Although I do not want to shirk labor, I did not come here just to work.
- Any man shirking his duty would be shot on the spot.
- Because shareholders can not tell how hard managers are exerting themselves on their behalf, managers have an incentive to shirk.
- But I can tell you, no one shirked and discipline was strict.
- But we are not shirking our duty as tipsters.
- I think we are going to find that the Allies shirked their responsibilities.
- She never wanted to shirk anything, she was always ready.
- Still, it was known that a very few had shirked their duty, and an example was necessary.
Longman Language Activatorto behave in a lazy way
informal to spend time sitting and relaxing and not doing any work: · We lazed around on the beach most of the day.· Why not finish your homework, instead of just sitting around doing nothing?· It's a perfect place to lounge around -- hot sunshine and free drinks.
to deliberately avoid your work or your responsibilities because you are lazy, in a way that makes people not have respect for you: · We don't want anyone shirking round here -- everyone is expected to earn their pay.shirk your duties/responsibilities: · Our father never shirked his responsibilities.· John doesn't want to go to war, but he won't shirk his duty.
informal to not help someone at all with work that must be done, such as cooking and cleaning, with the result that they have to do it all on their own: · Tim doesn't lift a finger when it comes to housework.not lift a finger to help: · We spent the day moving furniture, but Sara didn't lift a finger to help.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their childrenCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
to deliberately avoid doing something you should do, because you are lazy: parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children (=not do your job properly)· No soldier can be allowed to neglect his duties.
(=not accept a duty you should accept)· He doesn't shirk responsibility.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· Any man shirking his duty would be shot on the spot.· Still, it was known that a very few had shirked their duty, and an example was necessary.· But we are not shirking our duty as tipsters.· And George Markham had never shirked his duty.· He may not exercise his rights or he may shirk his duties, but he can not forgo them.
· And she did not shirk her responsibility.· I think we are going to find that the Allies shirked their responsibilities.· Many superiors acknowledged that some of the most experienced sales managers shirked these responsibilities of leadership.
He was fired for shirking.shirk your responsibilities/duties/obligations parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children—shirker noun [countable]