off

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled off’n

US /ɔf/ UK /ɒf/ See IPA manual

Freq #122

Meanings

1

adv
Away from a place, person, or thing.

He waved goodbye and drove off down the road.
2

adv
So as to be removed or separated from something.

Please take off your shoes before coming in.
3

adj
Not working or not switched on.

Make sure the lights are off before you leave.
4

adj
Not at work or not on duty.

I'm off every Tuesday, so let's meet then.
5

adj
Cancelled; no longer going to happen.

The match is off because of the heavy rain.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · away from a place, person,... away

5 adj · cancelled; no longer going... cancelled

More out

Opposites

in on

Word family

Derived forms off-by-oneoff-campusoff-leaseoff-licenceoff-saleoff-streetoff-the-shelfoff-tradeoffishoffnessoffyonce-off

Appears in

Phrases (148)

See all

call off a search
cancel or abandon an ongoing search operation

Verb + noun
beg off
to ask to be excused from something you had agreed to do

Verb + adverb
choke off
to stop or severely restrict an activity or flow

Verb + adverb
cordon off
to prevent entry to an area by surrounding it with a rope or similar barrier

Verb + adverb
dash off
to write something quickly, with little time spent revising it

Verb + adverb
doze off
to fall asleep, usually lightly or unintentionally

Verb + adverb

Idioms (17)

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a rip-off
Something that is far too expensive for what it is.
blow off steam
to release pent-up energy or emotion through some activity
get something off your chest
To finally say something that has been worrying you, so you feel relieved.
hit it off
To like each other and get along well immediately on first meeting.
kick off
to begin an event, meeting, or project
a chip off the old block
a person who strongly resembles a parent in character or behavior

Proverbs (9)

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Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Germanic *ab Proto-West Germanic *ab Old English æf Old English of Middle English of English off From Middle English of, from Old English of, af, æf (“from, off, away”), from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab (“from”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo (“from, off, back”). Doublet of of. Cognates Cognate with Scots aff (“away, off”), Saterland Frisian oawe, ou (“from”), West Frisian ôf (“away, off”), Dutch af (“from, off”), German ab (“from, off”), German Low German, Luxembourgish of (“off”), Yiddish אָפּ (op,…

of Old English *ab Proto-Germanic *h₂epo Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# off

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv, adj
**IPA (US):** /ɔf/
**IPA (UK):** /ɒf/
**Frequency rank:** 122

## Meanings
1. Away from a place, person, or thing.
2. So as to be removed or separated from something.
3. Not working or not switched on.
4. Not at work or not on duty.
5. Cancelled; no longer going to happen.

## Examples
- He waved goodbye and drove off down the road.
- Please take off your shoes before coming in.
- Make sure the lights are off before you leave.
- I'm off every Tuesday, so let's meet then.
- The match is off because of the heavy rain.

## Synonyms
- away
- out

## Antonyms
- in
- on

## Derived Forms
- off-by-one
- off-campus
- off-lease
- off-licence
- off-sale
- off-street
- off-the-shelf
- off-trade
- offish
- offness
- offy
- once-off

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: of
- Root: *ab
- Root: *h₂epo

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Germanic *ab Proto-West Germanic *ab Old English æf Old English of Middle English of English off From Middle English of, from Old English of, af, æf (“from, off, away”), from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab (“from”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo (“from, off, back”). Doublet of of. Cognates Cognate with Scots aff (“away, off”), Saterland Frisian oawe, ou (“from”), West Frisian ôf (“away, off”), Dutch af (“from, off”), German ab (“from, off”), German Low German, Luxembourgish of (“off”), Yiddish אָפּ (op,…

## AI Etymology
Off comes from Middle English of, from Old English of, af, æf (“from, off, away”), from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab (“from”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo (“from, off, back”). Doublet of of. Modern senses include away from a place, person, or thing and so as to be removed or separated from something. The wider word family includes derivatives such as off-by-one, off-campus, off-lease, off-licence, off-sale, and off-street.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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off

Meanings

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (148)

Idioms (17)

Proverbs (9)

Etymology

Topics

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