shrug off

verb

shrugged off; shrugging off; shrugs off

transitive verb

1

: to shake off

shrugging off sleep

2

: to brush aside : minimize

shrugs off the problem

3

: to remove (a garment) by wriggling out

Synonyms

• blink (at)
• brush (aside or off)
• condone
• discount
• disregard
• excuse
• forgive
• gloss (over)
• gloze (over)
• ignore
• overlook
• overpass
• paper over
• pardon
• pass over
• remit
• whitewash
• wink (at)

Examples of shrug off in a Sentence

an administration that was willing to shrug off the problem

she shrugged off her coat and hung it up neatly

Recent Examples on the Web

But the pair had developed a rapport that allowed Pacino to help them both shrug off Coppola's worries. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024

Until now, the markets have shrugged off most of the regional risks so far this year as conflict didn’t curtail supplies and traders focused instead on deepening worries about soft demand. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2024

The Ukrainians to their credit shrugged off Russia’s apparent artillery superiority in Kursk, correctly surmising that befuddled gunners are useless gunners. —David Axe, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024

People who watched a person respond empathically to the blast videos were likely to follow suit, whereas those who watched another person shrug off the videos acted equally blasé. —Elizabeth Svoboda, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shrug off

verb

1

: to brush aside as not important

2

: to take off (a garment) by wriggling out