brush
gb/bɹˈʌʃ/ us/bɹˈʌʃ/
A2
Inglés
~ 6200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
A2
entity
1
tool with bristles for cleaning
A tool with many short hairs or bristles that you use to clean, make something neat, or put on paint or makeup.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] uses a brush on [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse "brush" and "comb". Use "brush" for tools with many soft bristles (for hair, teeth, cleaning), and "comb" for the tool with a row of teeth used mainly for hair.
Sinónimos
broom (used mainly for sweeping floors; larger and longer-handled than most brushes.)
|
scrubber (a rough cleaning tool, often without distinct bristles, used for hard scrubbing.)
Colocaciones
toothbrush
|hair brush
|paint brush
|makeup brush
|toilet brush
|wire brush
Temas
daily life
|home
|appearance
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- I need a new brush for cleaning the bathroom tiles.
- She picked up a small brush and began to paint the sky.
- Use a soft brush so you don’t damage the fabric.
- He ran a hair brush quickly through his wet hair.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I forgot my toothbrush at the hotel.
- She uses a big brush to clean the floor.
- This makeup brush is very soft.
- Please put the toilet brush back in the holder.
Verbo
A2
action
2
clean or groom using a brush
To move a brush over something, like teeth, hair, or shoes, to clean it or make it neat.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] brushes [something]
Error frecuente:
Many learners say *"wash my teeth"* instead of "brush my teeth". Use "brush" with teeth and hair; use "wash" mainly with body parts like hands, face, or hair (with water and soap).
Sinónimos
clean (more general; does not specifically mention using a brush.)
|
groom (often used for taking care of hair or animals; slightly more formal.)
Antónimos
dirty (means to make something not clean, the opposite result of brushing.)
|
mess up (informal; means to make something untidy instead of neat.)
Colocaciones
brush your teeth
|brush your hair
|brush the dog
|brush the carpet
|brush your shoes
|brush her coat
Temas
daily life
|home
|appearance
|daily_life
|body
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- You should brush your teeth at least twice a day.
- She sat at the mirror and slowly brushed her hair.
- He brushed his shoes until they shone.
- The groomer carefully brushed the dog’s thick fur.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I always brush my teeth before bed.
- She brushes her hair every morning.
- Please brush the cat; it is losing a lot of hair.
- He brushed the carpet to remove the dust.
Verbo
B1
action
3
remove something with light strokes
To move your hand or a brush over something to push off dirt, crumbs, or other small things.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] brushes [something] off/from [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use only "remove" or "take off" and miss the idea of a quick, light action. "Brush off" suggests a small, fast movement, often with your hand or a brush, not a heavy clean.
Sinónimos
wipe (also means cleaning a surface, but usually with a cloth instead of a brushing motion.)
|
clear (more general; means to remove things from a surface in any way.)
Antónimos
cover (means to put something over a surface, the opposite of removing it.)
Colocaciones
brush off the crumbs
|brush the dirt off
|brush dust from
|brush snow off
|brush sand off
|brush the flour from
Temas
daily life
|home
|daily_life
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She brushed the crumbs off the table after breakfast.
- He paused to brush the snow from his shoulders.
- I quickly brushed the dust off the old photo frame.
- She brushed sand off her feet before putting on her shoes.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Please brush the crumbs off your shirt.
- He brushed the dirt from his hands.
- She brushed snow off the car windows.
- I brush sand off my feet at the door.
Verbo
B2
action
4
touch lightly in passing
To touch something only a little and for a very short time as you go past it.
Patrón de uso:
[someone/something] brushes [something] (often with 'against' or 'past')
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use "hit" when they mean a very light touch. Use "brush" or "graze" when the contact is soft and brief, not strong.
Sinónimos
graze (very similar; often used for a light touch that may slightly hurt or scratch.)
|
skim (suggests moving very lightly over a surface without staying in contact.)
Antónimos
hit (implies strong, forceful contact rather than a light touch.)
|
slam into (a very strong and sudden collision, the opposite of a gentle brush.)
Colocaciones
brush against
|brush past
|brush her hand against
|branches brushed his face
|the cat brushed my leg
|their shoulders brushed
Temas
movement
|physical contact
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- As the train pulled in, her coat brushed my arm.
- The cat brushed against my leg and purred.
- Low branches brushed his face as he pushed through the trees.
- Their shoulders brushed as they passed each other in the corridor.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The dog brushed against my hand.
- Her hair brushed his cheek when she hugged him.
- The car lightly brushed the wall but did not stop.
- The curtain brushed my arm when I walked past.
Sustantivo
B1
action
5
short act of brushing
A short time when you use a brush to clean or make something neat.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] gives [something] a brush
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *"your hair needs brush"* instead of "needs a brush". Use the article "a" because "a brush" here means one short action.
Sinónimos
brushing (more continuous; often used for the activity in general rather than a single quick act.)
Colocaciones
give your hair a brush
|a quick brush
|a good brush
|needs a brush
|after a brush
|one last brush
Temas
daily life
|appearance
|daily_life
|body
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Your jacket needs a quick brush before we leave.
- She gave her hair one last brush and put the comb away.
- After a good brush, the dog’s coat looked much better.
- He took a moment for a quick brush of his teeth.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I gave my shoes a quick brush.
- Your hair needs a brush.
- He gave his coat a brush before the meeting.
- The dog looks nice after a brush.
Sustantivo
C1
event
6
brief encounter, often unpleasant
A short, usually bad or serious meeting or experience, often with danger or the police.
Patrón de uso:
a brush with [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners may misunderstand "brush" here as a physical object. In the phrase "a brush with the law/death", it means a short, serious experience, usually something you do not want.
Sinónimos
run-in (informal; often used for trouble with the police or an argument with someone.)
|
encounter (more neutral; does not always suggest danger or trouble.)
Antónimos
avoidance (means successfully staying away from something rather than meeting it.)
Colocaciones
brush with the law
|brush with death
|first brush with
|a brief brush with
|a brush with fame
|a brush with disaster
Temas
events
|problems
|daily_life
|law
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He had a brief brush with the law when he was a teenager.
- After her brush with death, she decided to change her lifestyle.
- That accident was his first real brush with danger.
- The interview was her first brush with fame.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He had a brush with the law when he was young.
- After a brush with death, she was very careful.
- It was my first brush with real danger.
- Her brush with fame was short but exciting.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
7
area of low bushes and trees
Land with many small trees and bushes that grow close together.
Patrón de uso:
[someone/something] is in/through the brush
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the cleaning tool. When you see "in the brush" or "through the brush" in a nature context, it refers to wild plants, not a cleaning tool.
Sinónimos
bush (similar meaning; often used in Australian and African English for wild land with trees and bushes.)
|
scrub (used especially for dry land with low, rough bushes.)
Antónimos
clearing (an open area in a forest or brush with no trees or bushes.)
|
lawn (an open, managed area of grass, not wild brush.)
Colocaciones
thick brush
|dry brush
|in the brush
|through the brush
|brush fires
|low brush
Temas
nature
|outdoors
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The deer disappeared into the brush within seconds.
- Firefighters struggled to control the brush fire in the hills.
- They pushed through the thick brush toward the river.
- Snakes often hide in the dry brush during the day.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- We saw a fox in the brush.
- The children walked through the brush to the lake.
- A fire started in the dry brush.
- The bird made its nest in the brush.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
brush
AFI
GB/bɹˈʌʃ/
US/bɹˈʌʃ/
Sílabas y acento
brush (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (brush)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: brush
- Plural: brush, brushes
Verb
- Base: brush
- 3rd Person Singular: brushes
- Present Participle: brushing
- Past: brushed
Familia de palabras
Forms
brushes
noun
brushing
verb
brushed
verb
Related words
Expresiones
a brush with death
8/ə bɹˈʌʃ wˈɪθ dˈɛθ/
idiom
experience of almost dying
A very dangerous experience when you could have died but did not.
Ejemplos
- After her brush with death, she started to value every day.
- The car accident was his second brush with death.
- He talked openly about his brush with death in the mountains.
a brush with the law
9/ə bɹˈʌʃ wˈɪθ ðə lˈɔ/
idiom
short experience of trouble with police
A short time when someone has problems with the police or courts because they did something wrong.
Ejemplos
- He had a brush with the law when he was in college.
- Her only brush with the law was a speeding ticket.
- After several brushes with the law, he finally went to prison.
brush against
2/bɹˈʌʃ əɡˈɛnst/
phrasal verb
touch lightly while passing
To touch something only a little as you go past it.
Ejemplos
- Her sleeve brushed against my hand.
- He felt something brush against his leg in the dark water.
- The curtain brushed against the open window.
brush aside
5/bɹˈʌʃ əsˈaɪd/
phrasal verb
refuse to consider seriously
To say or act as if an idea, complaint, or feeling is not important, so you will not think about it.
Ejemplos
- The government brushed aside calls for an investigation.
- She brushed aside his concerns and went ahead with the plan.
- Their doubts were brushed aside as unnecessary.
brush off
6/bɹˈʌʃ ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
informal
dismiss or ignore someone
To quickly and often rudely ignore a person or a problem and show that you do not care about it.
Ejemplos
- The manager brushed off their complaints and ended the meeting.
- When I tried to talk to her, she just brushed me off.
- He brushed off the criticism and kept working on his idea.
brush past
3/bɹˈʌʃ pˈæst/
phrasal verb
move past with light contact
To move quickly past someone so that you touch them only a little.
Ejemplos
- He brushed past me without saying a word.
- The waiter brushed past her chair in the crowded restaurant.
- She brushed past the reporters and went straight to her car.
brush shoulders with
10/bɹˈʌʃ ʃˈoʊldɚz wˈɪθ/
idiom
socially mix with important people
To meet or be around important or famous people, usually at social events.
Ejemplos
- At that party, we brushed shoulders with several movie stars.
- Young entrepreneurs had the chance to brush shoulders with industry leaders.
- She loves her job because she often brushes shoulders with politicians.
brush something under the carpet
7/bɹˈʌʃ sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈʌndɚ ðə kˈɑɹpɪt/
idiom
hide and ignore a problem
To try to hide a problem or mistake and not talk about it, instead of fixing it.
Ejemplos
- The company tried to brush the scandal under the carpet.
- You can’t just brush this problem under the carpet forever.
- Instead of brushing it under the carpet, they decided to discuss the issue openly.
brush up on
4/bɹˈʌʃ ˈʌp ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
review and improve knowledge
To study something again in a short time so that you remember it better and can use it well.
Ejemplos
- I need to brush up on my Spanish before the trip.
- She spent the weekend brushing up on company rules before starting her new job.
- He brushed up on basic math before taking the test.
brush your teeth
1/bɹˈʌʃ jˈʊɹ tˈiθ/
fixed phrase
clean your teeth
To clean your teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Ejemplos
- Don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed.
- The dentist told him to brush his teeth three times a day.
- She taught her child how to brush his teeth properly.
paint someone with the same brush
11/pˈeɪnt sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɪθ ðə sˈeɪm bɹˈʌʃ/
idiom
treat different people as the same
To say or think that different people are all bad in the same way, even when this is not true for everyone.
Ejemplos
- Don’t paint all drivers with the same brush because of a few accidents.
- She refuses to paint an entire culture with the same brush.
- The article paints all social media users with the same brush.
tar someone with the same brush
1/tˈɑɹ sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɪθ ðə sˈeɪm bɹˈʌʃ/
idiom
unfairly blame as same as others
To think or say that someone is bad because they are in the same group as other bad people, even if it is not fair.
Ejemplos
- It’s unfair to tar all politicians with the same brush.
- It is unfair to tar all young people with the same brush just because of a few troublemakers.
- She felt she had been tarred with the same brush as her dishonest colleagues.
- He felt tarred with the same brush as his dishonest colleagues.
- We shouldn’t tar every teenager with the same brush because of a few troublemakers.