off

adverb
UK: /ɒf/
US: /ɔːf/

  1. Away from a place or position.

    1. He ran off quickly. [ ] [ ]
    2. She took some time off to travel around Europe before starting her new job. [ ] [ ]

  2. Not at work or school.

    1. I am off on Friday. [ ] [ ]
    2. The teacher is off sick today, so we have a substitute. [ ] [ ]

  3. Disconnected or not functioning.

    1. The lights are off now. [ ] [ ]
    2. The television suddenly went off during the most important part of the show. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

away inactive
off phrasal-verb

  1. To leave a place or begin a journey.

    1. We set off early. [ ] [ ]
    2. They're planning to set off on their adventure next week, full of excitement. [ ] [ ]

  2. To cause something to explode or activate.

    1. He set off a bomb. [ ] [ ]
    2. The burglar alarm was set off by accident when the cat jumped on the sensor. [ ] [ ]
off noun

  1. A period of time when you are not working or at school.

    1. I need a day off. [ ] [ ]
    2. She gets two days off per week, which she spends relaxing and catching up on hobbies. [ ] [ ]
off adjective

  1. Cancelled or not happening.

    1. The game is off. [ ] [ ]
    2. Since it's raining heavily, the picnic is off for today, unfortunately. [ ] [ ]

  2. Not correct or accurate.

    1. The color is a bit off. [ ] [ ]
    2. The calculation was slightly off, so we had to revise the final figures. [ ] [ ]
off preposition

  1. From; away from.

    1. Take it off the table. [ ] [ ]
    2. She took the picture off the wall and placed it carefully on the shelf. [ ] [ ]

  2. Expressing removal or separation.

    1. He jumped off the roof. [ ] [ ]
    2. The climber slipped off the icy ledge and fell several meters before catching himself. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "off" in English means: Away from a place or position., Not at work or school., Disconnected or not functioning..

The phonetic transcription of "off" is /ɒf/ in British English and /ɔːf/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "off": away, inactive.

Example usage of "off": "He ran off quickly.". More examples on the page.