Skip to main content
to brush aside

to brush aside

13 4.5
Ignore a person or thing because you think they are not important
  • phrasal verb
  • /brʌʃ əˈsaɪd/
translation icon : ignorar
  • But it's possible that as a high school student, Perot simply brushed aside the warning.
  • easily brushed aside

their medical problems because medical people oftentimes brush aside their medical problems.

Examples

  • As we have seen, however, the problems that Nietzsche raises are too serious to be brushed aside.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The Minds, who were preoccupied with preparations for the landing, tried to brush me aside.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Again the arms try to pull him off, but Harry brushes them aside.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Certainly St. Mary's has made no attempt to brush aside its past.

    Academic text (2017)
  • But when I questioned Bill about it, he brushed me aside.

    Academic text (2010)
  • During these moments, all distractions are brushed aside, and the essentials of coaching are clear.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Reyes took the helm, gently brushing aside Margaret's offer to land the ship.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • However, these counterarguments were usually brushed aside by the popular media as uninteresting minutiae.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The innumerable difficulties which it raises have been either ignored or brushed aside on the flimsiest evidence.

    Academic text (1996)
  • During the meeting, she brushed aside the negative comments and focused on the positive feedback.

Synonyms

to ignore
vsto brush aside
1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

is more about treating as unimportant than simple nonacknowledgement
to dismiss
vsto brush aside
332 3.0

To refuse to accept an idea or claim

is more informal and often shows little feeling while dismissing
to overlook
vsto brush aside
243 2.9

To not notice someone or something you should see

is deliberate ignoring rather than an accidental miss
to disregard
vsto brush aside
119 3.9

Ignore something or someone on purpose

is more casual and less neutral in the act of dismissal
to put aside
vsto brush aside
103 3.4

To stop thinking about something for a short time

is more immediate dismissal rather than temporary postponement
to discount
vsto brush aside
75 4.2

To treat something as unimportant and ignore it

is more neutral and can include ignoring without evaluation
to look the other way
vsto brush aside
69 4.7

To ignore something wrong on purpose instead of reporting it

is general dismissal, not specifically avoiding wrongdoing or harm
to dismiss as
vsto brush aside
59 4.6

To say someone or something is not worth taking seriously without careful thought

is broader, treating something as unimportant rather than assigning a label
to turn a blind eye
vsto brush aside
41 5.4

Choose to ignore something wrong

is broader dismissal, not limited to moral or illegal matters
to let it slide
vsto brush aside
  • Informal
38 5.9

To ignore a small mistake to avoid an argument

is a firmer dismissal, not a tolerant overlooking
to pass over
vsto brush aside
28 4.1

To ignore someone or something on purpose

is more active dismissal rather than mere omission
to shrug off
vsto brush aside
27 3.9

Treat something as unimportant and ignore it

is similar but can include showing the dismissal outwardly
to brush off
vsto brush aside
  • Informal
22 3.9

To ignore what someone says or feels as unimportant

is similar but can be less personal and less rude
to take lightly
vsto brush aside
22 4.2

To treat something as not important or serious

focuses on deeming unimportant rather than merely ignoring it
to gloss over
vsto brush aside
22 6.5

Make a problem or mistake seem less serious by leaving out details

is direct ignoring rather than softening by omission
to turn away from
vsto brush aside
15 3.7

To refuse to have anything to do with someone or something

is less about avoidance and more about treating as unimportant
to cast aside
vsto brush aside
  • Informal
11 3.7

Reject or ignore people and things you no longer want

is often less final and can be a simple act of ignoring
to push aside
vsto brush aside
7 4.1

Refuse to think about something, for example worries or objections

is more about dismissing than actively refusing or shoving aside
to wash away
vsto brush aside
7 4.3

To make people forget and stop caring about something

is a more neutral ignoring that may not imply elimination
to pretend not to notice
vsto brush aside
5 5.6

To act as if you do not see something to avoid making someone feel embarrassed

is more openly dismissive, not pretending ignorance to avoid trouble
to wave away
vsto brush aside
4 5.3

Treat a question or problem as not important

is the same refusal but without implying a quick physical motion
to sweep aside
vsto brush aside
3 4.7

To ignore an opinion or worry as unimportant

is similar but can be gentler or less sweeping in tone
to wave off
vsto brush aside
  • Informal
2 5.9

Treat something as unimportant and ignore it

is similar but may not include any visible dismissive gesture
to give someone the brush-off
vsto brush aside
  • Informal
2 7.5

To reject someone quickly and rudely

is about dismissing matters generally rather than rude personal rejection
to pass off
vsto brush aside
2 4.1

To treat criticism or an insult as not important

is broader, covering any thing treated as unimportant
to sidestep the issue
vsto brush aside
1 6.0

To avoid answering a difficult question by changing the subject

is direct dismissal, not merely avoiding discussion
to skate over
vsto brush aside
  • Informal
1 6.9

Handle a problem quickly without looking at the details

is outright dismissal rather than shallow handling
to wave aside
vsto brush aside
1 6.1

To treat something as not important and ignore it

is similar but does not require a physical dismissive action

Antonyms

1.1

To think carefully before making a decision

3.6

To deal with a subject in speech or writing

286 3.9

To show that you have noticed someone or something

How Dismissive

to shun
26 4.6
to snub
7 6.3
to brush aside
13 4.5
to dismiss
332 3.0
to ignore
1.0

Surface Forms

brush aside infinitive
brushed aside past participle
brushing aside present participle
brushes aside third person singular

Morphology

brush + aside

The meaning 'to dismiss or ignore' is derived metaphorically from the literal idea of physically moving something 'aside' with a 'brush' motion, so a learner who knows the words can often infer the figurative sense. However, the shift from physical movement to social/attitudinal dismissal is a metaphorical extension rather than fully compositional, so the connection is clear but not entirely predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Brush aside comes from the simple image of using a brush or your hand to sweep something to one side. If you literally brush something aside, you move it away as unimportant, so the phrase now means 'to dismiss' or 'ignore'.