Brush off Explained | English Vocabulary

There is a phrasal verb that can change the way you communicate — at work, when you travel, and in your daily conversations. It has multiple different meanings, and native English speakers use it every single day without even thinking about it. Here is your hint: Imagine a coworker gives you harsh feedback, and you simply smile and keep working like nothing happened. Stay with me, because I am about to reveal everything.

Professional example: The manager brushed off the complaint and continued the meeting.

Everyday example: She brushed off the rude comment and kept smiling.

There it is — brush off. Two completely different situations, one phrasal verb. But what does it really mean, and why does it show up in so many different places? Hang on — I will explain everything in just a moment.

3 Meanings of Brush off

Here is the answer I promised you at the beginning. Brush off has several powerful meanings, and today I will teach you all of them.

The first meaning: To brush off someone means to ignore them or refuse to listen to what they say..

The second meaning: To brush off criticism or a problem means to treat it as not important and not let it affect you..

And the third meaning: To brush off something like dust or dirt means to remove it from a surface with your hand or a brush..

How Professionals and Everyday Speakers Use It

Now let us put these to work.

Professionals brush off negative feedback when they know their work is solid and the criticism is unfair.

People brush off small problems at home so they do not ruin a good day.

Now that you understand the core meaning of brush off, subscribe if you want to master more phrasal verbs that English speakers actually use every day. And if this lesson helped you, let me know by hitting the like button. We post new vocabulary lessons on this blog every week.

4 Real Examples

Let us see brush off in action, with four real examples — two for work, two for everyday life. Example one — The client brushed off our first proposal, so we prepared a stronger one for the next meeting. Example two — He brushed off the stress of the deadline and finished the report on time. Example three — My brother brushed off the dirt from his shoes before coming inside the house. Example four — I brushed off her warning about the rain, and then I got completely wet.

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Fone JBL Tune 770NC

When you learn English, you will hear native speakers brush off mistakes and keep talking with confidence, and you can do the same. Listening to real conversations with the Fone JBL Tune 770NC helps you notice how people use "brush off" in natural speech, because the clear sound and noise cancelling let you focus on every word. With daily listening practice, a Brazilian student can master this verb and use it without fear.

Your Turn

Now it is your turn. Go to the comments and post your own sentence using brush off. Writing your own examples is one of the most powerful ways to remember new vocabulary — but more importantly, it helps you put your new phrasal verb into practice immediately. So do not skip this part. Write your sentence now.

If you enjoyed this lesson, leave a comment to let me know! Keep learning, and see you in the next post. And in the next episode, I will show you another essential phrasal verb — 'Build Up'. You will not want to miss it. See you there!

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