1 A2 neutral
To clean dust or dirt from the surface of an object.
"He dusted off the old trophy and placed it back on the shelf."
separable
dust off
B1 neutral separable transitive
To remove dust from something, or to bring something back into use after it has been neglected or unused for a period of time.
In plain English
To clean the dust off something, or to start using something again that you haven't used in a long time.
What does "dust off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To take something out of storage or neglect and bring it back into active use, often after a long period.
"She dusted off her French after twenty years and signed up for an advanced class."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To recover from a setback and prepare to try again.
"You just have to dust yourself off and get back in the game after a defeat like that."
“
Beyoncé, 'Me, Myself and I': 'Dust yourself off and try again.'
— Commonly associated with Aaliyah, 'Try Again' (2000); also quoted widely in motivational contexts.
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To wipe or brush dust 'off' a surface — fully transparent.
Actually means
To clean the dust off something, or to start using something again that you haven't used in a long time.
Usage tip
Very common in both literal and figurative senses. The figurative sense ('dust off your old skills') is widely used in journalism and everyday speech. Common in both British and American English. Often used with 'old', 'forgotten', 'ancient' to describe something being revived.
Words that pair with "dust off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
skills recipe manuscript old plan guitar resume diploma
How to conjugate "dust off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dust off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dusts off
he/she/it
Past simple
dusted off
yesterday
Past participle
dusted off
have + pp
-ing form
dusting off
continuous
Hear "dust off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dust off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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