shrug off — dismiss something easily / treat as unimportant
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
To show that you are not worried about something, or to treat a problem, criticism, or responsibility as if it is not important or serious.
Say it like a native
Textbook He chose to disregard the criticism as inconsequential.
Native He just shrugged off the criticism.
'Shrug off' is the natural verb for brushing something aside; 'disregard as inconsequential' is formal.
Pattern: shrug off + noun
In use
- Despite the negative comments, she just shrugged off the criticism and kept going.communication
- In my opinion, successful leaders are able to shrug off setbacks and stay focused on their goals, which is essential in a competitive environment.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She shrugged off from the bad news.
✓ She shrugged off the bad news.
'Shrug off' takes the object directly — no 'from'.
Common collocations
shrug off + setback— the criticism, the defeat, an injury, concerns
Don't confuse it
This sense is figurative and does not refer to the literal physical action of shrugging your shoulders. It is about how you react to problems or criticism, not about the movement.