slough off
C1 formal separable transitive
In simple words
To peel off dead skin, or to get rid of something you no longer want or need
Literal meaning: To shed dead outer skin, as a snake does
Meanings
1 C1 formal
(Biology) To shed or cast off dead skin, scales, or an outer layer
"Snakes slough off their skin several times a year as they grow."
Grammar: separable
2 C1
idiomatic
formal
(Figurative) To get rid of something unwanted, such as a habit, attitude, or old identity
"She moved to a new city hoping to slough off her reputation and start fresh."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
The literal biological sense (skin, scales) is technical. The figurative sense (slough off old habits, a past identity) appears in literary and formal writing. The word 'slough' rhymes with 'tough', not 'though'.
Commonly used with
skin scales dead cells habit past identity
Forms
Base
slough off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sloughs off
he/she/it
Past simple
sloughed off
yesterday
Past participle
sloughed off
have + pp
-ing form
sloughing off
continuous
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Synonyms
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