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Gene93 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

shrug something off vs shake something off

Hello,
Is there a big difference between them in this sentence: "They have shrugged off/shaken off the disappointment of last week's defeat."? They mean the same to me.

Thank you
  

Top answer

My take. Shake off means to rid oneself of worry after a bit of time and "get on with life". Shrug off means more to ignore something or pretend that it is of no significance, at the onset.

— Philip

  • My take.
  • Shake off means to rid oneself of worry after a bit of time and "get on with life".
  • Shrug off means more to ignore something or pretend that it is of no significance, at the onset.
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3 Answers
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My take. Shake off means to rid oneself of worry after a bit of time and "get on with life". Shrug off means more to ignore something or pretend that it is of no significance, at the onset.
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Thank you, Philip. Could someone also shrug off responsibility?
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Gene93Thank you, Philip. Could someone also shrug off responsibility?
Absolutely. I'm trying to do that myself in one aspect of my retired life.
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