shake off

shake someone or something off

Fig. to get rid of someone; to get free of someone who is bothering you. Stop bothering me! What do I have to do to shake you off? I wish I could shake off John. He's such a pest!

See also: off, shake

shake something off

to get rid of something that is on one by shaking. (See also shake a disease or illness off.) I tried to shake the spider off. The dog shook off the blanket Billy had put on him.

See also: off, shake

shake off something

also shake something off

to free yourself from something Investors failed to shake off worries about the economy. As she was running, she felt a pain in her left leg, but she hoped to shake it off if she slowed up.

Usage notes: usually said about something unpleasant

See also: off, shake

shake off

Free oneself or get rid of something or someone, as in I've had a hard time shaking off this cold, or She forged ahead, shaking off all the other runners. It is also put as give someone the shake, as in We managed to give our pursuers the shake. The first term dates from the late 1300s; the slangy variant dates from the second half of the 1800s.

See also: off, shake

shake off

1. To shake something so as to dislodge what is on it: We shook off the picnic blanket to get rid of the grasshoppers. I picked up the beach towel and shook it off.

2. To get rid of something by shaking: The dog climbed out of the creek and shook off the water. I shook the snow off my jacket and hung it up.

3. To free oneself of something; get rid of something: We shook off our fear and proceeded into the dark cave. The injured player shook the pain off and continued to play.

See also: off, shake

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Appleseed	['æplisi:d]
Archie	['a:tʃ]
Leonty	-	Russian
Randell	['rændl]
KatarÍNa	-	Slovak
Panna	PAWN-naw	Hungarian