to give someone the brush-off
2
7.5
- phrasal verb
- Informal
- It's clear that my friends are going to give him the brush-off after what he said last night.
Examples
-
I was disappointed when he decided to give me the brush-off instead of discussing the project.
-
Nearby, Benny sees this meeting and walks off, disgusted, thinking this is why Jean gave him the brush-off.
Fiction book (1996) -
We're going to give her the brush off.
-
The whole family is giving me the brush-off.
-
All that time, and after four hours in high school, I was giving him the brush-off.
Fiction book (2000) -
I say don't give me the brush-off.
-
Your buddy, Bianchi keeps giving me the brush-off.
-
She just keeps giving me the brush-off.
-
It sounded like he was giving me the brush-off.
-
-CARL: Hey, don’t you try to give me the brush off.
Synonyms
296
3.0
To refuse to accept an idea or claim
65
3.7
To refuse to have anything to do with someone or something
32
3.9
Treat something as unimportant and ignore it
29
3.9
To ignore what someone says or feels as unimportant
28
6.3
To ignore someone on purpose to show disrespect
22
7.7
To say no to someone or their offer in a quick rude way
18
7.7
To refuse a person or an offer in a rude way
11
4.5
Ignore a person or thing because you think they are not important
7
8.7
Reject someone or something rudely and tell them to go away
6
8.5
To tell someone to leave their job or to stop using something
5
5.3
Treat a question or problem as not important
4
5.9
Treat something as unimportant and ignore it
2
4.7
To ignore someone you meet by pretending not to see them
1
8.5
Treat someone in a cold way and ignore them to show dislike
1
4.8
Refuse a request or offer in a blunt way
1
7.7
To ignore someone on purpose to show you are angry or unfriendly
1
9.0
To end a relationship or stop someone from working for you
1
6.7
To move your hand to show you do not care
To end a relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend
Suddenly stop seeing or talking to someone
Antonyms
How Dismissive
72
4.6
28
6.3
- Informal
2
7.5
- Informal
1
7.7
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
give + someone + the + brush-off
The core meaning comes from the phrasal verb 'brush off' (brush + off) meaning to ignore or dismiss, so a learner who knows 'give', 'someone', 'brush' and 'off' can probably infer it denotes rejecting or dismissing someone. However, the nominalised idiom 'the brush-off' and the specific nuance of a brusque/unfriendly dismissal are somewhat conventionalized and idiomatic, so the meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom give someone the brush-off may come from the simple image of using a brush to sweep dust off your coat or to brush a person away, showing you want them gone. So, to 'give someone the brush-off' means 'to reject' someone in a cold, unfriendly way.