# brush down

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/brush-down
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to clean dust, dirt, or fluff off your clothes or an animal using your hands or a brush. You do this to make yourself look tidy.

For teachers: To remove loose debris from a surface, typically clothing or an animal, using a brush or the hands. This transitive phrasal verb often implies a quick but thorough cleaning of the entire object.

## Examples

- Please brush down your coat before you go inside.
- After falling in the dry grass, he had to brush himself down thoroughly to remove all the seeds and dust from his trousers.
- The valet meticulously brushed down the general's uniform, ensuring not a single speck of lint remained before the formal inspection began.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The manager brushed him down for the mistake." but "The manager dressed him down for the mistake." — 'Brush down' refers to physical cleaning, whereas 'dress down' is the correct idiom for a severe verbal reprimand.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used with clothing items or people as the direct object.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'brush off', which focuses on a specific spot of dirt, while 'brush down' covers the whole surface.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.