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Prepositions after verbs

“Shrug off” or “shrug at” ?

Shrug off means to dismiss or ignore something. Shrug at is uncommon and usually refers to making a shrugging gesture toward someone or something.

Quick answer

Which form is correct?

Use shrug off when you mean ignore, dismiss, or recover from something. Shrug at is much less common and usually describes the direction of a physical shrug gesture.

She shrugged off the criticism.
He couldn't shrug off the cold.
The manager shrugged at the question.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
shrug off + problem/criticism

Ignoring or dismissing something

Shrug off commonly means to treat something as unimportant or not let it affect you.

They shrugged off the rumours.
She shrugged off the insult.
2
shrug off + illness/fatigue

Recovering from a physical condition

Shrug off can also mean recover quickly from an illness, injury, or tiredness.

He shrugged off the minor injury.
I can't shrug off this headache.
3
shrug at + person/question

Making a shrugging gesture toward something

Shrug at is rare but possible when at introduces the target of the gesture rather than part of a fixed phrasal verb.

She shrugged at his suggestion.
He shrugged at the reporter.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
shrug off
She shrugged off the criticism.
ignore or dismiss something
shrug at
He shrugged at the question.
direct a shrugging gesture toward something
shrug about
She shrugged about the delays.
possible but about introduces the topic, not a fixed verb pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using shrug at to mean ignore

Use shrug off when you mean dismiss or ignore something.

✕ He shrugged at the insult. ✓ He shrugged off the insult.

Confusing gesture and meaning

Shrug at usually describes the direction of the gesture.

✓ She shrugged at me and walked away.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She tried to ___ the negative comments.
2. He ___ the reporter when he had no answer.
3. I can't ___ this cough anymore.

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Frequently asked questions

Is shrug off informal?

It is common in both spoken and written English and is not especially informal.

Can shrug at mean ignore?

Usually no. English normally uses shrug off for the meaning of dismissing or ignoring something.

What does shrug your shoulders mean?

It describes the physical action of raising your shoulders to show uncertainty or indifference.

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