From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishshirkshirk /ʃɜːk $ ʃɜːrk/ verb [intransitive, transitive] LAZYto deliberately avoid doing something you should do, because you are lazy He was fired for shirking.shirk your responsibilities/duties/obligations parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children —shirker noun [countable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
shirk• 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.• She never wanted to shirk anything, she was always ready.• Any man shirking his duty would be shot on the spot.• John doesn't want to go to war, but he won't shirk his duty.• Our father never shirked his responsibilities.• Although I do not want to shirk labor, I did not come here just to work.• But we are not shirking our duty as tipsters.• We don't want anyone shirking round here -- everyone is expected to earn their pay.• Still, it was known that a very few had shirked their duty, and an example was necessary.• I think we are going to find that the Allies shirked their responsibilities.shirk your responsibilities/duties/obligations• I think we are going to find that the Allies shirked their responsibilities.• He may not exercise his rights or he may shirk his duties, but he can not forgo them.• We must not shirk our responsibilities to the citizens of our great state.Origin shirk (1600-1700) Perhaps from German schurke “bad man” 