brush off

[bruhsh-awf, -of] / ˈbrʌʃˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

VERB

ignore

Synonyms

WEAK

boycott brush aside cold-shoulder contradict cut deny disclaim dismiss disown disregard ostracize override rebuff refuse reject repudiate scorn send away slight snub spurn sweep aside

Antonyms

WEAK

attend pay attention

NOUN

dismissal

Synonyms

STRONG

cold shoulder combat denial difference dismissal disregard go-by rebuff rejection repulse slight traversal

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Her stepfather, Peter, said they believed staff "would just brush off Molly's concerns" about her health and "not take them seriously".

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Financial planners who brush off crypto and reject it outright risk alienating these potential clients.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

Blane might have to brush off Duckie’s occasional curtness, but that’s the extent of his woes.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

Rich Nuzum, a top executive at the asset manager Franklin Templeton, said the markets have learned to brush off Trump’s tariffs and suggested that the new threatened levies on Europe would be the same.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

After years of doing that every time she used the blackboard, she did it now even when there was no chalk dust there to brush off.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

brush off

Example Sentences

Related Words