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

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

Carmy tends to brush off nearly all of her concepts, making Syd question whether she can find the culinary success that’s long eluded her at the side of a colleague who overspends and overreaches.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2025

I tried to brush off the feeling, especially when I sat with my aunts in the warmth of their home, eating their good food, and watching their magical spinning and knitting and weaving.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

brush off

Example Sentences

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