Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to shake off the dust

to shake off the dust

6.4
To leave past problems behind and start again
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : dejar atrás
  • After the divorce, she was determined to shake off the dust and start a new chapter in her life.

Examples

  • He finally shook off the dust from that unfulfilling job and pursued his true passion.

  • Sometimes you need to shake off the dust of old failures and embrace new opportunities.

  • It's time to shake off the dust and start fresh!

  • She decided to shake off the dust from her past.

  • Determined to improve her life, she decided to shake off the dust of her past mistakes and start anew.

  • After years of hardship, he was ready to shake off the dust and focus on his future goals.

  • It's important to shake off the dust of past disappointments and believe in new possibilities.

Synonyms

to start fresh
vsto shake off the dust
  • Informal
26 3.6

Begin again without bringing past problems

focuses on leaving past troubles behind and moving forward in life
to wipe the slate clean
vsto shake off the dust
  • Informal
8 5.0

To start fresh by forgetting past mistakes and problems

focuses more on leaving experiences behind and progressing in life
to shake off the dust from one's feet
vsto shake off the dust
  • Literature
9.8

Leave a place after a bad experience and not return

is more general about leaving past troubles and moving forward in life

Antonyms

to cling to
111 3.3

To hold tightly to something or keep believing something strongly in hard times

to dwell on
53 5.2

To think or talk a lot about something upsetting

How Detached

to start fresh
  • Informal
26 3.6
to shake off the dust
  • Informal
6.4
to let go
381 3.7
to accept
∞ 3.5
to hold on
72 1.6
to cling to
111 3.3

Surface Forms

shake off the dust infinitive
shaking off the dust present participle
shakes off the dust third person singular
shook off the dust past
shaken off the dust past participle

Morphology

shake + off + the + dust

The literal meanings of 'shake' + 'off' + 'dust' (remove dust by shaking) give a clear physical image that plausibly extends to the idea of removing past troubles, so a learner who knows the words can often infer the metaphorical sense. However, the idiomatic nuance ('leave behind experiences/associations and move forward') relies on metaphorical and cultural usage and may not be fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Shake off the dust comes from the simple act of stopping after walking through a dusty place and shaking off the dust from your clothes or feet to leave the dirt behind. So, it now means 'to leave behind past troubles and move forward in life'.