1 C1 idiomatic informal
To transfer blame, responsibility, or an unwanted burden to another person.
"He tried to shift the blame off himself by pointing the finger at his colleagues."
separable
shift off
C1 informal separable transitive
To transfer responsibility, blame, or a burden onto someone else; to get rid of an obligation by passing it to another.
In plain English
To push responsibility or blame onto someone else so you don't have to deal with it.
What does "shift off" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shift (move) something off yourself and onto someone or something else.
Actually means
To push responsibility or blame onto someone else so you don't have to deal with it.
Usage tip
Primarily used in British English. Often implies a negative action — avoiding one's own duties. Less common than 'pass off' or 'fob off' but encountered in informal conversation.
Words that pair with "shift off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
blame responsibility guilt burden task problem
How to conjugate "shift off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shift off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shifts off
he/she/it
Past simple
shifted off
yesterday
Past participle
shifted off
have + pp
-ing form
shifting off
continuous
Hear "shift off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shift off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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