shrug off

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English

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Verb

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shrug off (third-person singular simple present shrugs off, present participle shrugging off, simple past and past participle shrugged off)

  1. (transitive) To ignore or disregard; to be indifferent to.
    He shrugged off the insults and proceeded despite them.
    • 2011 December 21, Tom Rostance, “Fulham 0 - 5 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport[1]:
      Manchester United shrugged off injuries to Phil Jones and Ashley Young to thrash a lifeless Fulham side.
    • 2021 November 12, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Friday, Nov 12, 2021:
      "I... don't understand." "I assume he doesn't, either, and were you anyone else, he would shrug it off. He, however, is your father. His default response is protective concern, and he doesn't understand why you transform. Lacking understanding, he is burdened by questions."
  2. To dispose of, rid oneself of, in a careless or effortless manner.
    • 1987 December 27, Gordon Gottlieb, “Coming Home As Lesbian And Gay Jews”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 24, page 16:
      Other social groups that had attained a comparable level of economic prosperity had comfortably shrugged off a wide definition of self-interest that encompassed other people and other groups. Jews, on the other hand, retained this broader perspective.
    • 2021 July 23, Andrea Martin, Another Man's Wife, Andrea Martin:
      He's shrugged off his gang days and gotten into a decent school.

Synonyms

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Translations

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