shake off

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Word: Shake Off

Part of Speech: Verb (phrasal verb)

Basic Meaning: "Shake off" means to get rid of something unwanted, like a feeling, an object, or a person. It can also mean to remove something from your body or mind, such as a negative thought or a physical burden.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "shake off" when you want to describe the action of getting rid of something that bothers or weighs you down.
• It can be used in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Examples:

1. Physical Use: "After the rain, she tried to shake off the water from her clothes."

   • Here, it means to remove the water.

2. Metaphorical Use: "He couldn’t shake off the feeling of sadness after the movie."

   • In this case, it means he couldn't get rid of his sad feelings.

3. Example with Context: "I had a stressful day, but I went for a walk to shake off my worries."

   • This means the walk helped him to feel better and forget about his stress.

Advanced Usage:

• "Shake off" can also imply a struggle to free oneself from a persistent issue or problem. For example, "She managed to shake off the criticisms and focus on her goals." This means she was able to ignore negative comments.

Word Variants:

• There aren't direct variants of "shake off," but you could use "shook off" (past tense) to describe the action taken in the past.
  • Example: "He shook off his doubts and gave the presentation."

Different Meanings:

• In a more literal sense, "shake off" can also mean to physically shake something off your body, like dirt or dust.
• It can imply evading someone or something, like a pesky follower: "I couldn't shake off the car that was following me."

Synonyms:

• Get rid of
• Remove
• Dismiss
• Eliminate
• Brush off

Related Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Brush Off: Similar in meaning, it means to dismiss something or someone lightly.
• Shake It Off: A common phrase often used to mean to not let something affect you; popularized by a song.
  • Example: "When things get tough, just shake it off and keep going."

Academic

Verb

1. get rid of
   • he shed his image as a pushy boss
   • shed your clothes
2. get rid of
   • I couldn't shake the car that was following me

Synonyms

• shed
• cast
• cast off
• throw
• throw off
• throw away
• drop
• shake
• escape from