Grammar fix
brush off
dismiss someone or something
To refuse to listen to someone or to take something seriously, treating it as unimportant.
phrasal verbB2occasional
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
When I tried to talk to my manager about the problem, she just brushed me off.
In my opinion, it's important for leaders to listen to feedback rather than brushing off people's concerns.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: He brushed off her when she tried to talk.
Say: He brushed her off when she tried to talk.
With a person/pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'brush her off'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Rebuffed her attempts at conversation' is formal; 'brushed her off' is natural and casual.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
brush + off (person)
- me off
- her off
- him off
- them off