brush-off

[ bruhsh-awf, -of ]

/ ˈbrʌʃˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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See synonyms for brush-off on Thesaurus.com

noun

a refusal to talk or listen to someone; abrupt or final dismissal or rebuff.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of brush-off

1945–50, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase brush off

Words nearby brush-off

brush flower, brush-footed butterfly, brushland, brushless, brushmark, brush-off, brush-on, brush pass, brushpopper, brush-tailed phalanger, brush-tailed possum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use brush-off in a sentence

Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The off-year special election into which Duke threw himself drew little media notice at first.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Aaron Paul may play a young Han Solo in the first Star Wars spin-off.
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
We squatted in the long grass and buck-brush, listening, and a few seconds later heard a horse snort distinctly.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Her success increased her confidence in herself and enhanced the boldness and freedom with which she handled her brush.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Two or three small parties of guerrillas had been sighted, but they took to the brush at the sight of the Federals.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Grandfather Mole felt it brush his back as it swept into place again.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for brush-off

brush off

/ slang /

verb (tr, adverb)

to dismiss and ignore (a person), esp curtly

noun brushoff

an abrupt dismissal or rejection

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with brush-off