ENGLISH
REFERENCE

brush off

idiom
Meaning

To disregard (something), to dismiss or ignore (someone), as unimportant.


Examples
SIMPLE

He tried to apologize, but she just brushed him off.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager brushed off my concerns about the project deadline, even though I was worried about the workload.

COMPLEX

Despite the mounting evidence presented by his colleagues, the director continued to brush off the warnings, choosing instead to maintain his original course of action.

Anchors to
Related idioms7entries
  1. 01

    broad brush

    A style or approach that deals with something in very general, sweeping terms, without attention to fine details or subtle nuances.

  2. 02

    brush aside

    To disregard, dismiss or ignore something, as unimportant.

  3. 03

    brush by

    To walk past another person, touching them slightly, normally by accident, and ignoring them.

  4. 04

    brush down

    To straighten up one's clothes and to tidy up one's appearance.

  5. 05

    brush up

    To review; to improve an existing but rusty or underdeveloped skill.

  6. 06

    live over the brush

    To cohabit without being married.

  7. 07

    paint with a broad brush

    To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.

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