shake off
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Phrasal Verb:
- To get rid of something unwanted or burdensome: To free oneself from something, such as a physical object, a feeling, a person, or a reputation.
- To escape from someone who is following or chasing you: To manage to get away from a pursuer.
Examples of Usage
- To get rid of a feeling or condition:
- After a long week, I went for a run to try and shake off my stress.
- He took some medicine but couldn't shake off the cold.
- To get rid of a person or pursuer:
- The spy turned down a side street to shake off the agent who was tailing him.
- I thought I had shaken off the paparazzi, but they found me again.
- To get rid of a reputation or image:
- The company is trying to shake off its outdated image and appeal to younger customers.
- It took her years to shake off the label of being a child star.
Advanced Usage
- "Shake off the dust from your feet": An idiomatic expression meaning to leave a place or situation decisively, especially after a bad experience, and not look back.
- After the failed partnership, he decided to shake off the dust from his feet and start a new business elsewhere.
Variants and Related Words
- Shake (verb): To move back and forth or up and down with quick, forceful movements.
- Shake the bottle before opening.
- Shake-up (noun): A major reorganization or sudden change.
- The new manager announced a major shake-up of the department.
Synonyms
- Get rid of: To remove or free oneself from something.
- Shed: To allow something to fall off; to get rid of.
- Escape from: To break free from confinement or danger.
- Lose: To become free of someone who is following you.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Shake down: 1) To extort money from someone. 2) To search a person or place thoroughly. 3) To test a new system or process.
- The gang was shaking down local businesses for protection money.
- We need to shake down the new software before the official launch.
- Shake out: 1) To shake something so that loose parts fall off. 2) To result or develop in a certain way.
- She shook out the rug to remove the sand.
- We'll have to wait and see how the new policy shakes out.
Related Idioms
- Shake a leg!: Hurry up!
- Shake a leg! We're going to be late!
- No great shakes: Not very good or impressive.
- His latest movie was no great shakes, according to the critics.
Verb
- get rid of
- he shed his image as a pushy boss
- shed your clothes
- get rid of
- I couldn't shake the car that was following me