Definition of shut - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
closuretr. close something to stop it being opentr.
- Please shut the door when you leave.
2.
closeintr. become closed or stop being openintr.
- The shop shuts at 9 PM.
3.
block accesstr. prevent access or passagetr.
- The road was shut due to the parade..
4.
eyestr. lower eyelids to stop seeingtr.
- She shut her eyes and fell asleep.
5.
securitytr. confine someone in an enclosed areatr.
- They shut the dog in the backyard.
Adjective
1.
secureclosed or fastened securely
- The door was shut tight.
2.
body partsused for closed mouth or eyes
- She kept her eyes shut during the movie.
Noun
1.
actionsUK the act or time of closing somethingUK
- The shut of the door echoed in the hallway.
2.
barrierDated door or cover used to close an openingDated
- He installed a new shut on the window.
Images of shut

door or cover used to close an opening
Expressions with shut
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
close or terminate an operation or activity
The factory will shut down next month.
close something like a door or window
Can you shut it before the wind blows in?
stop the flow or operation of something
He shut off the water to fix the pipe..
prevent from entering
The club's policy was to shut out anyone under 21..
close your eyes
She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.
block out noise or sound
She shut her ears to the loud music by wearing headphones.
close the main entrance door
Please shut the front door when you leave.
close a building so no one can enter
They shut up the shop for the holidays.
not speak to keep a secret or avoid problems
She decided to keep her mouth shut about the missing documents.
remain quiet to avoid trouble
You should keep your mouth shut if you don't want to get involved.
to stop talking unless able to prove a claim or act
If you think you can do better, put up or shut up!
stop him from continuing an action or activity
The coach decided to shut him down after the injury.
confine within a space or area
They shut in the animals for the night.
stop talking immediately, often rudely
He told her to shut her mouth during the meeting.
stop doing an activity or task
They decided to shut up shop early and go home.
remain silent or keep a secret
He was told to keep his trap shut about the plan.
ignore something intentionally to avoid dealing with it
She shut eyes to the growing problem at work.
remain silent to avoid saying something inappropriate
I almost revealed the secret, but I shut my mouth.
ignore or refuse to consider something
She shut her mind to his advice.
stop complaining or arguing
She finally shut her trap after realizing she was wrong.
isolate oneself from others for privacy or solitude
She decided to shut herself away to finish her book.
separate yourself from people or outside things on purpose
He shut himself off from his friends after the argument.
stop someone from speaking by silencing them
The teacher shut his mouth with a stern look.
ignore or refuse to listen
If you shut your ears to feedback, you’ll never improve.
Origin of shut
Old English, scyttan (to close)
Terms with shut included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
accessibility
make something accessible by moving from a shut position
physical action
shut one's eyelids
shut noisily
shut forcefully and loudly
physical state
be in a state with eyelids shut
physical action
shut one eye while keeping the other open
home
shut a window to block air or noise
business
shut a building or business temporarily
architecture
door that is shut
physical state
having eyelids shut
shut off
turn off an electronic device
home
with curtains pulled shut
business
shut the store at the end of the day
technology
shut a browser tab
technology
shut down a computer system methodically
shutting down
shut down slowly in phases
packaging
device that closes packages or containers so they stay shut
slam shut
close something suddenly with a loud noise
hardware
physical control used to shut a device lid door or cover
self-shutdown
designed to shut down without user intervention
eye movement
shut and open the eyes quickly
eye movement
having been momentarily shut and reopened
personal retreat
remain shut in, not seeing anyone
tools
use force or a tool to open something tightly shut
objects
partly shut but not completely closed
Examples of shut in a sentence
They shut the gate after entering the garden. The door shut behind us in the wind. The flowers shut when the light faded. The store was shut for renovations. The gate was shut to keep the animals in. He shut his eyes tightly against the bright light.
I shut my eyes during the scary part of the movie. They shut the prisoner in the cell. The guards shut the intruders in the basement. The windows were shut against the storm. Make sure the gate is shut before leaving. He sat with his mouth shut, saying nothing. The baby slept with her eyes shut. The shut of the window was sudden and loud. A gentle shut of the book ended the reading session. The carpenter crafted a wooden shut for the shed. A metal shut was used to secure the entrance.
View all translations of shut
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:fermer, fermé, ...
- German:schließen, geschlossen, ...
- Italian:chiudere, chiuso, ...
- Spanish:cerrar, cerrado, ...
- Portuguese:fechar, fechado, ...
- Chinese:关, 关闭的, ...
- Japanese:閉める, 閉じた, ...
- Arabic:أَغْلَقَ, مُغْلَق, ...
- Hebrew:לִסְגּוֹר, סָגוּר, ...
- Russian:закрыть, закрытый, ...
- Ukrainian:закрити, зачинений, ...
- Hindi:बंद करना, बंद, ...
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