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brush-off
[ bruhsh-awf, -of ]
noun
- a refusal to talk or listen to someone; abrupt or final dismissal or rebuff.
brush off
verb
- to dismiss and ignore (a person), esp curtly
noun
- an abrupt dismissal or rejection
Word History and Origins
Origin of brush-off1
Idioms and Phrases
Dismiss or rebuff, as in Roberta brushed off the poor reviews with a shrug , or You can't brush off a boyfriend and expect him to do you a favor . This expression, transferring sweeping off crumbs to a curt dismissal, was first recorded about 1820. However, it became common usage only in the 1930s. Also see give someone the air (brush off) .Example Sentences
Of course, when I sounded them out, they gave me a kindly brush-off: The matter was out of the their hands.
For any officer to brush-off a forthright request for aid or advice under such circumstances is an unofficerly act.
I finally gave Comrade Snyder the complete brush-off, and I must say he took it very nicely.
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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.
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