shrug off

Related to shrug off: come off, up to par, in line with

shrug off

1. To dismiss, ignore, or minimize the importance of someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "shrug" and "off." I've been warning the boss about the issue for weeks, but he just keeps shrugging me off. You have to learn to shrug off the negative opinions of others if you want to succeed in this industry.
2. To rid or free oneself from someone or something that one finds unpleasant, upsetting, or annoying. A noun or pronoun can be used between "shrug" and "off." My little brother has been pestering me all day, so I finally just shrugged him off and went to the gym. I've had a hard time shrugging off this cold.
See also: off, shrug
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

shrug something off (as something)

 and pass something off (as something)
to ignore something unpleasant or offensive as if it meant something else. She shrugged off the criticism as harmless. I passed off the remark as misinformed. Bill scolded me, but I just passed it off.
See also: off, shrug
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

shrug off

1. Minimize the importance of, as in That nasty review didn't bother him at all; he just shrugged it off. [Early 1900s]
2. Get rid of, as in She managed to shrug off her drowsiness and keep driving. [Mid-1900s]
3. Wriggle out of a garment, as in He shrugged off his coat. [First half of 1900s]
See also: off, shrug
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

shrug off

v.
1. To dismiss something with a gesture of doubt, disdain, or indifference: She shrugged off her mother's advice. Rather than respond to their insults, he just shrugged them off and kept walking.
2. To minimize the importance of something: The coach shrugged off the defeat and talked about the team's improvement. The politician shrugged the allegations off, calling them absurd.
3. To get rid of something: I hope that I can shrug off this cold before the game next weekend. I began to feel sleepy, but I shrugged it off and kept driving.
4. To wriggle out of some clothing: He shrugged off his shirt and put it in the laundry basket. She shrugged her coat off and hung it in the closet.
See also: off, shrug
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • ask back
  • not do (someone or oneself) any favors
  • rescue from
  • rescue from (someone or something)
  • identify with
  • attune to
  • orient
  • orient to
  • orient to (something)
  • involved with
References in periodicals archive
As I said, it's hard to shrug off, but maybe we can do it together.
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Brendan Barber, general secretary-elect of the TUC, said: ``The Chancellor should shrug off his critics.
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When it descends over a drama--as it tends increasingly to do in our movies--it becomes inescapable and pervasive, and so no easier to shrug off than a winter which seems to sprawl from the end of one Canadian summer to the beginning of another.
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While the college-age characters of the popular show might shrug off the court ruling as a minor "bummer," state and local officials interested in sustaining ties with California's third largest industry are taking the matter more seriously.
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But Tigers coach Ian Millward backed Super League's Man of Steel to shrug off the setback.
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The department store chain hope to use the cash to shrug off debt woes and help take advantage of opportunities in the recession.
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Too often we shrug off stereotypes and name-calling as just another part of growing up.
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DAVID Cameron will shrug off calls to scrap the hated NHS reforms in a speech today.
CAM BLUNDERS ON OVER NHS
Boss Jim Duffy is hoping his main striker will shrug off the problem in time for the vital trip north.
FOOTBALL: LOVELL IS ON HOLD
Mice genetically engineered to lack neuropeptide Y, or NPY, a modulator of brain activity, shrug off the sedative effects of alcohol faster than normal mice and are apt to drink more of it when given the chance, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle report in the Nov.
Brain chemical affects alcohol sensitivity
ROD WALLACE will shrug off injury worries today in a bid to dump former club Leeds out of the FA Cup.
Football: Rod out to give 'em Tel
Bayern team-mate Carsten Jancker is hoping to shrug off a toe injury and Sebastian Deisler and Carsten Ramelow have thigh strains.
Football: SCHOLL FITNESS BOOST FOR VOLLER