brush off

brush someone off 

1. Lit. to remove something, such as dust or lint, from someone by brushing. The bathroom attendant brushed Mr. Harris off and was rewarded with a small tip. The porter had never brushed off such a miserly man before.

2. Fig. to reject someone; to dismiss someone. (As if someone were mere lint.) He brushed her off, telling her she had no appointment. He brushed off Mrs. Franklin, who was only trying to be nice to him.

See also: brush

brush something off someone or something and brush something off

to remove something from someone or something by brushing. I brushed a little lint off her collar. I brushed off the lint that was on her collar.

See also: brush

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brush off somebody/something also brush somebody/something off

to not accept someone or something as being important When she told me my project would be a better television film than a feature film, I thought she was brushing me off. But the prime minister brushed off that criticism, saying it was just talk.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of brush something off (to remove something from a surface by moving your hand quickly over it)

See also: brush