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Shirk vs Renege - What's the difference?

shirk | renege |

In lang=en terms the difference between shirk and renege

is that shirk is to evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away while renege is in a card game, to break one's commitment to follow suit when capable.

As verbs the difference between shirk and renege

is that shirk is to avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc; to stay away from while renege is to break a promise or commitment; to go back on one's word.

As a noun shirk

is one who shirks or shirk can be (islam) the unforgivable sin of idolatry.

shirk

English

Etymology 1

First attested use in 1625 – 1635, apparently from association with shark (verb form), or from (etyl) .

Verb

(en verb)
  • To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.
  • * Hare
    • the usual makeshift by which they try to shirk difficulties
  • To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away.
    • If you have a job, don't shirk from it by staying off work.
  • * Byron
    • One of the cities shirked from the league.
  • To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation.
  • * Bishop Rainbow
    • You that never heard the call of any vocation, that shirk living from others, but time from yourselves.
    Synonyms
    * blow off (US) * goldbrick (dated)
    See also
    * malinger

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • one who shirks

    • Etymology 2

    (etyl) (širk , "idolatry").

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Islam) the unforgivable sin of idolatry

    • References

    English heteronyms

    renege

    English

    Verb

    (reneg)
  • To break a promise or commitment; to go back on one's word.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=February 5 , author=Michael Kevin Darling , title=Tottenham 2 - 1 Bolton , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Just before half-time, Clattenburg awarded Spurs a penalty for the third time after a handball in the area but he reneged after realising that the linesman had flagged Crouch offside in the build-up.}}
  • In a card game, to break one's commitment to follow suit when capable.
  • (archaic) To deny; to renounce
    • (Shakespeare)
  • * Sylvester
    • All Europe high (all sorts of rights reneged ) / Against the truth and thee unholy leagued.

    Anagrams

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