Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense shuts, present participle shuttinglanguage note: The form shut is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle.
1. verb
If you shut something such as a door or if it shuts, it moves so that it fills a hole or a space.
Just make sure you shut the gate after you. [VERB noun]
The screen door shut gently. [VERB]
Synonyms: close, secure, fasten, bar More Synonyms of shut
Shut is also an adjective.
They have warned residents to stay inside and keep their doors and windows shut.
The exit doors were locked shut.
2. verb
If you shut your eyes, you lower your eyelids so that you cannot see anything.
Lucy shut her eyes so she wouldn't see it happen. [VERB noun]
Shut is also an adjective.
His eyes were shut and he seemed to have fallen asleep.
3. verb
If your mouth shuts or if you shut your mouth, you place your lips firmly together.
Daniel's mouth opened, and then shut again. [VERB]
He opened and shut his mouth, unspeaking. [VERB noun]
Shut is also an adjective.
She was silent for a moment, lips tight shut, eyes distant.
4. verb
When a store, bar, or other public building shuts or when someone shuts it, it is closed and you cannot use it until it is open again.
There is a tendency to shut museums or shops at a moment's notice. [VERB noun]
Shops usually shut from noon-3pm, and stay open late. [VERB]
What time do the pubs shut? [VERB]
Shut is also an adjective.
Make sure you have food to tide you over when the local shop may be shut.
5.
See shut one's eyes to something
6.
See keep your mouth shut
7.
See keep your mouth shut
8.
See shut your mouth
9. shut up shop
Phrasal verbs:
See shut away
See shut down
See shut in
See shut off
See shut out
See shut up
More Synonyms of shut
shut in British English
(ʃʌt)
verbWord forms: shuts, shutting or shut
1.
to move (something) so as to cover an aperture; close
to shut a door
2.
to close (something) by bringing together the parts
to shut a book
3. (transitive; often foll byup)
to close or lock the doors of
to shut up a house
4. (tr; foll by in, out, etc)
to confine, enclose, or exclude
they shut the dog in the kitchen
5. (transitive)
to prevent (a business, etc) from operating
6. shut one's eyes to
7. shut the door on
adjective
8.
closed or fastened
noun
9.
the act or time of shutting
10.
the line along which pieces of metal are welded
11. get shut of
Word origin
Old English scyttan; related to Old Frisian sketta to shut in, Middle Dutch schutten to obstruct
shut in American English
(ʃʌt)
verb transitiveWord forms: shut or ˈshutting
1.
a.
to move (a door, window, lid, etc.) into a position that closes the opening to which it is fitted
b.
to fasten (a door, etc.) securely, as with a bolt or catch
2.
to close (an opening, passage, container, etc.)
3.
a.
to prevent or forbid entrance to or exit from; close or bar
b.
to confine or enclose in a room, cage, building, etc.
4.
to fold up or bring together the parts of (an umbrella, book, etc. or the mouth, eyes, etc.)
5.
to stop or suspend the operation of (a business, school, etc.)
verb intransitive
6.
to move to a closed position; be or become shut
adjective
7.
closed, fastened, or secured
noun
8.
the act or time of shutting or closing; close
9.
the connecting line between two pieces of welded metal
Idioms:
shut down
shut in
shut of
shut off
shut out
shut up
Word origin
ME (W Midland) schutten < OE scyttan < base of sceotan, to cast: see shoot
More idioms containing
shut
shut up like a clam
shut up shop
Examples of 'shut' in a sentence
shut
Yet he will only think about shutting up shop in the final ten minutes tonight.
The Sun (2016)
Restaurants and bars shut earlier than normal.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They will shut for about eight weeks.
The Sun (2014)
You could jump a house on him with your eyes shut.
Frankie Dettori with Jonathan Powell FRANKIE: The Autobiography of Frankie Dettori (2004)
Just shut your eyes and listen closely.
Bruce Feiler WALKING THE BIBLE (2001)
Then ice on the runway forced it to shut again.
The Sun (2010)
The doors to the hall were locked shut.
Miller, James The Passion of Michel Foucault (1993)
Signs around the hotel warn of the importance of keeping windows and doors shut.
The Sun (2010)
The situation would be different if you had to shut your business because of storm damage.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We shut the doors so they could have a quiet moment.
The Sun (2016)
She simply wants your ear attentive and your mouth shut.
Christianity Today (2000)
Those doors were shut a long time ago.
The Sun (2015)
We went into his inner office and shut the door.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Now shut it and try to make the same noise.
The Sun (2011)
She wrenched it open and shut it behind her.
Paige, Frances The Glasgow Girls (1994)
We are not coming here to shut up shop.
The Sun (2008)
Now licence chiefs may shut the bar.
The Sun (2011)
Talk about shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
The Sun (2013)
Shut your eyes and relax for a minute.
Sally Gunnell, Kathryn Leigh BE YOUR BEST: How Anyone can become Fit, Healthy and Confident (2002)
It might be better if he just shut up a bit.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
So you will then have to get out and shut it again.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The door was shut and locked once more.
Tepper, Sheri S. A Plague of Angels (1993)
Residents are being advised to keep their windows shut.
The Sun (2015)
We slam the door, shutting the room off from the rest of the house.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
shut
British English: shut /ʃʌt/ VERB
If you shut something such as a door or if it shuts, it moves so that it fills a hole or a space.
Please shut the gate.
American English: shut
Arabic: يُغْلِقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: fechar
Chinese: 关闭
Croatian: zatvoriti
Czech: zavřít
Danish: lukke
Dutch: sluiten
European Spanish: cerrar
Finnish: sulkea
French: fermer
German: schließen
Greek: κλείνω
Italian: chiudere
Japanese: 閉める
Korean: (...을) 닫다
Norwegian: stenge
Polish: zamknąć
European Portuguese: fechar
Romanian: a închide
Russian: закрывать
Latin American Spanish: cerrar
Swedish: stänga
Thai: ปิด
Turkish: kapatmak
Ukrainian: закривати
Vietnamese: đóng
All related terms of 'shut'
shut-in
If you shut someone or something in a room , you close the door so that they cannot leave it.
shut of
rid of; free from
shut up
If someone shuts up or if someone shuts them up , they stop talking. You can say 'shut up' as an impolite way to tell a person to stop talking.
cold shut
A cold shut is a fault in the surface of a piece of metal caused by two streams of molten metal not joining properly when the piece is being cast .
half-shut
partially closed
shut away
If you shut yourself away , you avoid going out and seeing other people, usually because you are feeling depressed .
shut down
If a factory or business shuts down or if someone shuts it down , work there stops or it no longer trades as a business.
shut-eye
Shut-eye is sleep .
shut-off
If you shut off something such as an engine or an electrical item , you turn it off to stop it working .
shut out
If you shut something or someone out , you prevent them from getting into a place, for example by closing the doors .
get shut of
to get rid of
shut-out bid
a pre-emptive bid
shut up shop
When a shop , office , or firm shuts up shop , it stops doing business and closes, either at the end of the day or permanently.
open-and-shut
If you describe a dispute or a legal case as open-and-shut , you mean that is easily decided or solved because the facts are very clear .
shutout
a less common word for a lockout
shut in a well
To shut in a well is to close off a well so that it stops producing.
shut one's face
to be silent
shut the door on
to refuse to think about
shut the window
A window is a space in the wall of a building or in the side of a vehicle, which has glass in it so that light can come in and you can see out.
shut one's eyes to
to ignore deliberately
keep one's mouth shut
to keep a secret
keep your mouth shut
If someone tells you to keep your mouth shut about something, they are telling you not to let anyone else know about it.
shut-in pressure test
A shut-in pressure test is a pressure test which is carried out after the well has been closed off for a particular time.
shut up like a clam
to become very quiet and withdrawn
with one's eyes shut
with great ease , esp as a result of thorough familiarity
shut your mouth shut your face
If someone tells you to shut your mouth or shut your face , they are telling you very rudely to stop talking .
shut one's eyes to something
If you say that someone shuts their eyes to something, you mean that they deliberately ignore something which they should deal with.
shut one's trap/keep one's trap shut
If someone tells you to shut your trap or keep your trap shut , they are telling you rudely that you should be quiet and not say anything.
shutdown
A shutdown is the closing of a factory, shop, or other business, either for a short time or for ever .
to close your eyes to something shut your eyes to something
If you close your eyes to something bad or if you shut your eyes to it, you ignore it.
to shut the door in someone's face slam the door in someone's face
If someone shuts the door in your face or slams the door in your face , they refuse to talk to you or give you any information .