rub off

See also: ruboff and rub-off

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Verb

rub off (third-person singular simple present rubs off, present participle rubbing off, simple past and past participle rubbed off)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rub,‎ off.
2. To clean by rubbing.

   Coordinate term: rub out

   • 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     He was wet through with the dew and quite earthy from diving into the burrows the Boy had made for him in the flower bed, and Nana grumbled as she rubbed him off with a corner of her apron.

3. (intransitive, idiomatic) To be transferred with little or no effort.

   I hoped that, if I hung out with the popular kids, some of their charisma might rub off on me.

   • 2022 September 27, Barclay Bram, “My Therapist, the Robot”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Over time, I noticed various exercises I did with Woebot rubbing off in my daily life. Woebot taught me how to set SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited.

Derived terms

• rub-off (noun)
• ruboff (noun)
• rub one off
• rub oneself off

 

Related terms

• rub down

 

See also

• affect
• impact
• influence

 

Anagrams

• Boruff