Shake off
phrasal verb Base: shake off | Past: shook off | Past Participle: shaken off | -ing: shaking off | 3rd person: shakes off
Definition
1. To get rid of an illness.
2. To free yourself from something unwanted like a feeling, habit, or reputation.
3. To escape from someone following you.
4. To remove someone who is touching or holding you by moving sharply.
2. To free yourself from something unwanted like a feeling, habit, or reputation.
3. To escape from someone following you.
4. To remove someone who is touching or holding you by moving sharply.
Context Alive
She had been coughing and sneezing for nearly a week. No matter what she tried, she just couldn’t shake off this terrible cold. She finally gave in and booked an appointment with the doctor.
Meanings
4 meanings 1 To Get Rid of an Illness (Phrasal Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about recovering from an illness — getting it out of your system. Imagine you’ve had a cold for over a week. Your nose is still running, you’re still sneezing, and it just won’t go away. You’re trying to shake off this cold, but it’s hanging on. You might say “I can’t shake off this flu” or someone could tell you “get some rest — you need to shake off that bug.” Or picture an athlete who picked up a small injury and is desperately trying to shake it off before a big game. The word suggests actively fighting to get better. ✏️ This is one of the most natural ways to talk about recovering from minor illnesses — “shake off a cold,” “shake off the flu,” “shake off a cough.”
Vivid ExampleHe had an important presentation on Monday, but he’d been sick all weekend. He took every remedy he could find, hoping to shake off the illness in time. By Sunday evening, he was finally starting to feel like himself again.
2 To Free Yourself From Something Unwanted — a Feeling, Habit, or Reputation (Phrasal Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about getting rid of something negative that sticks to you — a bad feeling, a habit, a reputation, or a memory. Imagine waking up from a nightmare and the uneasy feeling follows you into your morning. You try to forget it, but you can’t shake off that strange, dark mood. You might say “I can’t shake off the feeling that something is wrong” or a company could be “struggling to shake off its bad reputation.” Or think about someone who quit smoking years ago but still can’t shake off the craving when they’re stressed. The word suggests something that clings to you and resists letting go. ✏️ Very common with abstract things: shake off a feeling, shake off doubts, shake off a habit, shake off an image.
Vivid ExampleEven after the investigation cleared her name, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that people still doubted her. The whispers in the office had stopped, but the damage lingered. It took months before she felt truly comfortable at work again.
3 To Escape From Someone Who Is Following You (Phrasal Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about getting away from someone who is chasing or following you. Imagine a spy movie where the hero notices a car following them through the city streets. They make sudden turns, speed through traffic, and finally manage to shake off the tail. This is shaking someone off — escaping from a pursuer. You might read “the thief shook off the security guards” or a sports commentator could say “the striker shook off two defenders before scoring.” Or picture a celebrity trying to shake off the paparazzi by ducking into a side entrance. The word carries a sense of effort and skill in getting free. ✏️ In sports, this is very popular — “shake off a defender,” “shake off a tackle” — meaning to break free from someone trying to stop you.
Vivid ExampleThe journalist noticed someone following her as she left the courthouse. She walked faster, turned down a narrow side street, and finally shook off whoever was behind her. She ducked into a café and waited until she was sure it was safe.
4 To Remove Someone Who Is Touching or Holding You (Phrasal Verb) Less Common ▼
This meaning is about physically pushing or pulling away from someone who is grabbing or holding onto you. Imagine someone grabs your arm in a crowd and you jerk your arm away sharply to break free. You’ve just shaken them off — removed their grip with a quick, firm movement. You might read “he grabbed her wrist, but she shook him off” or someone could describe “the child shook off his mother’s hand and ran toward the playground.” Or picture a player in a match shaking off an opponent who is holding their shirt. The word suggests a sharp, deliberate physical movement to break contact. ✏️ Notice the structure: you shake off the person, not the hand. “She shook him off” means she removed his grip by moving away sharply.
Vivid ExampleThe stranger reached out and grabbed his sleeve in the middle of the busy market. Without thinking, he shook off the hand and stepped back quickly. He looked around nervously before walking away as fast as he could.
Examples from the Street
“I’ve had this cough for weeks and I just can’t shake it off.”
I’ve been dealing with this cough for ages and I simply can’t get rid of it
“She got rejected but just shook it off and applied somewhere else the next day.”
She was turned down but simply let it go and sent an application to another place the very next morning
“He keeps following me around — I can’t shake him off.”
He won’t stop trailing after me — I can’t get away from him no matter what I do
Common Patterns
shake off a cold/cough/flu/bug → recover from a minor illness and get rid of it
can’t shake off (an illness) → unable to recover from something that keeps lingering
take a while to shake off → need time before fully recovering from something
finally shake off (an illness) → at last recover from something that has been hanging around
shake off a feeling/sense → free yourself from an emotion or impression that clings to you
shake off the effects of something → recover from the impact of something negative
shake off a reputation/image/label → get rid of the way people see you, especially when it’s outdated or unfair
can’t shake off the feeling that… → unable to stop sensing that something is true
hard/difficult/impossible to shake off → very challenging to free yourself from
shake off a pursuer/defender/rival → escape from someone following or marking you
shake someone off → get away from a person who is following or bothering you
shake off a slow start → recover from a poor beginning and start performing well
shake off the cobwebs → get moving and become alert after a period of inactivity or sluggishness
Collocations
3 collocationsshake off a cold
recover from a minor illness
shake off negativity
free yourself from pessimistic thoughts
hard to shake off
difficult to get rid of
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
I’ve been trying to shake off this cold for two weeks but it just won’t go away
I’ve been attempting to recover from this illness for a fortnight but it keeps lingering no matter what I do.
2
She shook off the disappointment quickly and focused on her next opportunity
She let go of the frustration almost immediately and turned her attention to the following chance that came along.
3
The footballer shook off his marker brilliantly and scored with his first touch
The player escaped the defender who was tracking him with superb skill and hit the ball into the net straight away.
4
He’s spent years trying to shake off the playboy image from his twenties
He’s been working for a long time to get rid of the reputation as someone who only cared about partying that he picked up when he was younger.
5
I can’t shake off the feeling that we’ve made a terrible mistake
I’m completely unable to stop sensing that we’ve done something seriously wrong.
6
A morning jog is the best way to shake off the cobwebs and start the day feeling sharp
An early run is the perfect method for clearing the sluggishness from your head and beginning the day feeling alert and awake.
7
The team shook off a slow start and dominated the second half
The side recovered from a poor opening period and completely controlled the match after the interval.
8
The journalist followed the politician for hours, but he eventually managed to shake her off
The reporter trailed the public figure for a long time, but he finally succeeded in getting away from her.
9
It took her months to shake off the effects of the accident — she was anxious every time she got in a car
It took her a very long time to recover from the impact of the crash — she felt nervous on every single occasion she sat in a vehicle.
10
That kind of scandal is almost impossible to shake off — people have very long memories
That type of disgraceful incident is nearly impossible to move past — the public doesn’t forget easily.
Learner Examples
★
When a student makes a mistake in a speaking exam, the best strategy is to shake it off immediately and keep talking naturally
When a learner gets something wrong during an oral test, the smartest approach is to let it go straight away and continue speaking as normally as possible.
★
It can take a while to shake off the habit of translating everything in your head before speaking — but with practice, it gets easier
It may need some time to break free from the pattern of converting every sentence mentally before saying it — but the more you practise, the more natural it becomes.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
3 items
Phrasal Verbsbrush off — dismiss or ignore casually
He brushed off the criticism and kept working on his project.
shrug off — treat as unimportant
She shrugged off the insult and walked away with confidence.
throw off — free oneself from something
He finally threw off the pressure and started enjoying the game.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsget rid of
remove something unwanted
overcome
move past a problem
brush off
dismiss lightly
free yourself from
escape
Antonymshold onto
keep attached
cling to
not let go