to shake off
41
3.6
- phrasal verb
- /ʃeɪk ɔf/
:
deshacerse de
- After a few days of rest, she was finally able to shake off the flu and return to work.
All right, now shake that off and let's talk about the second-half of the year.
- All right, now shake that off and let's talk about the second-half of the year.
- And I, I could still never shake it off.
- But I can't shake the feeling of betrayal.
- Ryan Days Eagle Ego will not let him shake that off.
- The right has not yet shaken off that past.
- And it's, it's impossible to think that one can just shake that off.
- She's enchanted and can't shake it off.
- And then after that, all right, shake off the cobwebs.
Examples
-
I tried to resume my work, but I couldn't shake off a growing uneasiness.
Fiction book (1992) -
I can't shake off this suspicious feeling about that Italian secretary.
-
And I also know that you are ready to shake this off and to take control.
-
And, or you can just shake it off...
-
Come on, shake it off.
-
Let's shake that off and focus.
-
And then I'd like you to shake it off and let it go.
-
I sat at the kitchen table, unable to stop crying or to shake off the dream.
Fiction book (1991) -
This is you shaking off the bad reaction to the feedback.
-
And I walked back home and shook it off because that made me really uncomfortable and nervous.
Synonyms
∞
1.5
To move something or someone away from a place
∞
3.0
To free someone from something harmful or unwanted
∞
1.6
To remove or throw away something you do not want
356
1.9
To stop holding something so it is not in your hand
131
3.5
To get rid of something you do not need
49
6.3
To remove unwanted substances, things, or people by cleaning
29
4.6
To make a feeling or idea go away
27
6.1
Make a thought or feeling go away so it stops bothering you
27
3.9
Treat something as unimportant and ignore it
23
3.5
To get rid of something by exercising or paying money
11
3.7
Reject or ignore people and things you no longer want
4
4.1
To throw away things you no longer want
3
4.8
To get rid of something you do not want or need
1
3.8
To quickly remove something you have or that bothers you
Antonyms
How Free
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'to get rid of' follows directly from combining 'shake' (to free oneself/move suddenly) with 'off' (away/remove): the particle signals removal, so the composite meaning is a predictable removal metaphor. Although used metaphorically for illnesses or feelings, this extension is transparent and follows a common phrasal-verb pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer.
Etymology
Shake off comes from the image of using a quick shake to throw something off your body or clothes, like a dog shaking off water. So, to shake off something means 'to get rid of' an illness, feeling, influence, or a person following you.