Definition

1. Verb phrase:

   • To shake off dust: The literal action of shaking or beating an object to remove accumulated dust or dirt.
   • To dust off: To clean something by removing dust, often with a quick, light action.

2. Verb phrase (figurative):

   • To leave behind; to shed; to rid oneself of: To abandon or free oneself from something old, negative, or burdensome, such as past habits, memories, or troubles.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning:

  • Cô ấy giũ bụi trên tấm thảm. (She shook the dust off the rug.)
  • Trước khi vào nhà, anh ấy giũ bụi trên giày. (Before entering the house, he dusted off his shoes.)

• Figurative meaning:

  • Anh ấy quyết định giũ bụi quá khứ và bắt đầu cuộc sống mới. (He decided to leave the past behind and start a new life.)
  • Sau chuyến đi, tôi muốn giũ bụi mọi muộn phiền. (After the trip, I want to shed all my worries.)

Advanced Usage

• Used metaphorically in literature and speech to signify renewal or purification.
  • Bài viết này giũ bụi lại những quan niệm cũ. (This article dusts off old notions.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phủi bụi (v): to flick or brush off dust. A more casual, lighter action.
  • Cậu bé phủi bụi trên quần áo. (The boy brushed the dust off his clothes.)

Synonyms

• Dust off: to remove dust.
• Shake off: to get rid of something by shaking.
• Shed: to cast off or get rid of something unwanted.
• Abandon: to leave completely and finally.

Related Idioms

• Giũ bụi giày: Literally "to shake the dust from one's shoes." Figuratively, to leave a place or situation definitively, often with a sense of finality or rejection.
  • Thất vọng, anh ta giũ bụi giày rời khỏi công ty. (Disappointed, he shook the dust from his shoes and left the company.)