shrug off
Britishverb
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to minimize the importance of; dismiss
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to get rid of
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to wriggle out of or push off (clothing)
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Minimize the importance of, as in That nasty review didn't bother him at all; he just shrugged it off . [Early 1900s]
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Get rid of, as in She managed to shrug off her drowsiness and keep driving . [Mid-1900s]
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Wriggle out of a garment, as in He shrugged off his coat . [First half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Given the uptick is largely down to royalties and stronger local currencies, investors will likely shrug off the higher costs guidance, the Peel Hunt analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Allman, for his part, was quick to shrug off the backlash, noting that it is only natural for his wife’s fans to seek out someone or something to blame for her exit.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
This helps explain why he can’t disregard her criticism the way any normal person might shrug off slights from someone they don’t respect.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Even with the U.S.’s domestic supplies of energy, it can’t shrug off higher oil prices forever.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
I try to shrug off the familiar note of guilt I always feel when combing through others’ private data.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
