1. to free yourself of something irritating, annoying or prohibitive
Professional
Social
shake off perceptions/shake off a feeling
When you 'shake something off', you free yourself of something irritating, annoying or prohibitive. You could 'shake off' a feeling, a person who is clingy or who won't leave you alone, or other people's opinion of you. 'Shaking' requires movement, so it is implied that the thing you are trying to 'shake off' is difficult to remove. This is a phrasal verb that is sometimes used in professional and social contexts in place of 'get rid of'.