shrug off

phrasal-verb
UK: /ʃrʌɡ ɒf/
US: /ʃrʌɡ ɔːf/

  1. To treat something as unimportant and not worry about it.

    1. He tried to shrug off the insult.
    2. She seemed to shrug off the criticism despite it being quite harsh.

  2. To get rid of something unwanted.

    1. I can't just shrug off my responsibilities.
    2. The company attempted to shrug off its debts by declaring bankruptcy.

Synonyms

disregard get rid of forget ignore dismiss
shrug off noun

  1. A gesture that shows you do not know or care about something.

    1. He gave a shrug off when asked about it.
    2. With a shrug off, she walked away, showing her indifference to the situation.
shrug off intransitive-verb

  1. To dismiss something easily.

    1. He is good at shrugging off pressure.
    2. Politicians often shrug off scandals, hoping the public will forget them.
shrug off transitive-verb

  1. To discard something (like a coat) quickly.

    1. She shrugged off her jacket.
    2. He shrugged off the heavy blanket and got out of the bed.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "shrug off" in English means: To treat something as unimportant and not worry about it., To get rid of something unwanted..

The phonetic transcription of "shrug off" is /ʃrʌɡ ɒf/ in British English and /ʃrʌɡ ɔːf/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "shrug off": disregard, get rid of, forget, ignore, dismiss.

Example usage of "shrug off": "He tried to shrug off the insult.". More examples on the page.