Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rub off

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.97 in modern English

Syllables: rub off
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rub, off.

verb

To clean by rubbing.

verb

To be transferred with little or no effort.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

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

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

rubs off (present, singular) rubbing off (participle, present) rubbed off (participle, past) rubbed off (past)

Derived Forms

ruboff

Phrases

rub-off rub one off rub oneself off rub down

Frequently Paired Words

rub down affect impact influence rub out

Synonyms

abrade corrade abrase rub down

Questions

What does rub off mean?: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rub, off.

How to pronounce rub off

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “rub off”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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