1 B1 idiomatic neutral
To free yourself from an illness, emotion, or negative condition through effort or time.
"She couldn't shake off the feeling that she had forgotten something important."
separable
shake off
B1 neutral separable transitive
To free yourself from something that is bothering, following, or affecting you, such as an illness, a feeling, or a pursuer.
In plain English
To get rid of something that you don't want — like a bad feeling, a cold, or someone following you.
What does "shake off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To escape from someone who is following or chasing you.
"The spy ducked into a crowded market to shake off the agents pursuing him."
separable
3 A2 neutral
To remove something by shaking your body or an object.
"He shook off the snow from his coat before stepping inside."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shake your body or limbs so that something clinging to you falls away — like shaking water off your hands or shaking off an insect.
Actually means
To get rid of something that you don't want — like a bad feeling, a cold, or someone following you.
Usage tip
Used very broadly — you can shake off a cold, shake off a bad mood, shake off a tackle in sport, or shake off someone following you. Very common in both spoken and written English across all contexts.
Words that pair with "shake off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
cold feeling image pursuer tackle reputation
How to conjugate "shake off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shake off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shakes off
he/she/it
Past simple
shook off
yesterday
Past participle
shaken off
have + pp
-ing form
shaking off
continuous
Hear "shake off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shake off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.