brush-offˈbrush-off noun [singular] 
She gave him the brush-off. I tried to be friendly but I just got the brush-off. → brush off at brush2
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- What is interesting is that the brush-off did not weaken her resolve or deflect her from her mission.
Longman Language Activatorto reject someone who wants to be friendly or help you
to refuse to speak or listen to someone who wants to be friendly with you or wants to help you: · Samantha had consistently rejected all Bob's offers of help.· She's scared to try to talk to him about it in case he rejects her again.· As a child he was repeatedly rejected by both parents.
to reject someone's friendly invitation or offer in an unpleasant or rude way, so that they feel offended: · She rebuffed all my attempts to make things up between us, till eventually my patience snapped.· Despite being rebuffed again and again, he continued to phone her.
informal to refuse to accept someone's help, friendship, invitations etc in a rude and unfriendly way: · Russell tried to give me the brush-off, but I don't give up that easily.· The new director of the Urban League was given the brush-off by City Hall.
to deliberately behave in an unfriendly way to someone, for example by ignoring them or being rude to them, so that they feel hurt: · Rosanna felt snubbed when she wasn't invited to the wedding.· High-schoolers will often snub anyone they feel is different or strange.· When the college invited him to speak, he was snubbed by students who felt his policies were unfair to minorities.
also ostracise British if a group of people ostracize a person or another group, they refuse to talk to them and make them feel that they are strongly disliked: · Many young people are unwilling to admit that they are gay because they fear being ostracized.· He had committed crimes so appalling that even other prisoners ostracized him.
to refuse to accept or be friendly with someone, especially because they are different from you in some way or have done something that you disapprove of: · Some young women are shunned by their families when they become pregnant outside of marriage.· Recently bereaved widows often feel they are being shunned by people who don't know what to say to them.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY She gave him the brush-off. I tried to be friendly but I just got the brush-off.
rude or unfriendly behaviour that shows you are not interested in someone: She gave him the brush-off. I tried to be friendly but I just got the brush-off. She gave him the brush-off. I tried to be friendly but I just got the brush-off. → brush off at brush2