How to say "shun" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 忌むいむgodan verb, intransitive verbCovers avoiding or refraining from something disliked, feared, or considered inauspicious, rather than shunning a person. It is less common, so learners should treat it as a secondary option for 'shun'.
- 疎むうとむgodan verb, transitive verbCovers shunning or avoiding a person or thing, with shades of ostracizing and neglecting. It is less common, so learners will more often want a plainer word for 'avoid' in everyday contexts.
- 疎んずるうとんずるichidan verb (-zuru), transitive verbSame meaning range as 疎む — shunning, avoiding, ostracizing, or neglecting — in a form typical of written or formal style. It is less common and rarely the first choice for 'shun'.
- 疎んじるうとんじるichidan verb, transitive verbA variant of 疎んずる with the same senses of shunning, avoiding, ostracizing, or neglecting. Like the others in this family it is less common, so it suits formal or literary prose more than conversation.
- のけ者にするのけものにするexpression, suru verbCovers the interpersonal sense of 'shun': deliberately excluding, ignoring, or leaving someone out of a group. This is the natural choice when the meaning is treating a person as an outcast.
Use 「のけ者にする」 for socially excluding a person; 「疎む」 and its derived forms for avoiding or neglecting someone or something; 「忌む」 for refraining from something disliked or inauspicious; all are less common choices.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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