Phrase guide

shrug off

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To ignore or disregard; to be indifferent to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • He shrugged off the insults and proceeded despite them.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To dispose of, rid oneself of, in a careless or effortless manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

minimize the importance of, brush aside

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Jane shrugged off the news that her stock had fallen 3 points

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dismiss, disregard, brush aside, brush off, discount, push aside, ignore

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: ignorar — to disregard
  • Esperanto: ignori — to disregard
  • French: ignorer — to disregard
  • Italian: ignorare — to disregard
  • Italian: infischiarsene — to disregard
  • Portuguese: ignorar — to disregard
  • Spanish: ignorar — to disregard
  • Tagalog: ipagkibit-balikat — to disregard