Phrasal verb
brush off
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
brush off
Past
brushed off
Past participle
brushed off
Definition
phrasal verb. to ignore someone or something because you think they are not important. You use this when you refuse to listen to a person or an idea.
phrasal verb. to dismiss or ignore someone or something curtly or with little consideration. The verb is transitive and functions both literally and figuratively.
Examples
“He brushes off my advice every time I try to help.”
“The manager brushed off the employees' complaints about the broken coffee machine, saying there were more important things to do.”
“The diplomat attempted to brush off the pointed questions from the press, but the persistent scrutiny eventually forced a formal statement from the embassy.”
Examples
simple
“He brushes off my advice every time I try to help.”
contextual
“The manager brushed off the employees' complaints about the broken coffee machine, saying there were more important things to do.”
complex
“The diplomat attempted to brush off the pointed questions from the press, but the persistent scrutiny eventually forced a formal statement from the embassy.”
Usage
This phrase is optionally separable, but you must put pronouns like 'it' or 'him' in the middle.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'shrug off', which suggests the subject is unaffected by something, whereas 'brush off' suggests an active dismissal of another person's input.
Pitfall
He brushed off it.
He brushed it off.
When the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
off
Separability
optional
Pattern
brush + (object) + off
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
VERB
PHRASAL VERB
Idioms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Pre-1
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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