Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
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, “off”), Danish, Icelandic af (“from, off”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk av (“off”), Swedish af, av (“off”), Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af, “of, from”); and with Latin ab (“of, from, by”), Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “from”), and others.
Meanings
(predicative) Inoperative, disabled.
All the lights are off.
(predicative) Cancelled; not happening.
The party's off because the hostess is sick.
Not fitted; not being worn.
The drink spilled out of the bottle because the top was off.
Your feet will feel better once those tight boots are off.
Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. ▸ Not correct; not properly formed; not logical, harmonious, etc.
The guitar isn't tuned properly. The bottom E is off.
This calculation is off: the numbers don't add up.
Is it right to say 'the amount of cars'? It sounds off to me.
(predicative) Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. ▸ Inappropriate; untoward.
I felt that his comments were a bit off.
Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. ▸ Less than normal, in temperament or in result.
sales are off this quarter
(in phrases such as 'off day') Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. ▸ Designating a time when one is not performing to the best of one's abilities.
(in phrases such as 'well off', qualifier:'poorly off'; 'comfortably off'; and in 'how?' questions; 'poorly off'; 'comfortably off'; and in 'how?' questions, usually) Circumstanced.
How are you off for milk? Shall I get you some more from the shop?
Our family used to be well off; now we're very badly off.
'Are you better off now than you were four years ago?' With that pointed question, Ronald Reagan defined the 1980 presidential election as a 92 referendum on Jimmy Carter's economic policies 2008, Kiron K. Skinner with Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Serhiy Kudelia, The Strategy of Campaigning:
Started on the way.
—Hello, Bloom. Where are you off to?
—Hello, M’Coy. Nowhere in particular. 1922, James Joyce, chapter V, in Ulysses:
Let them glimpse a green man coming at them with intent, and they're off like a bride's nighty. Even after capture some of them will seize every attempt to suicide — they just can't live with the tremendous loss of face. 1990, Peter Pinney, The glass cannon: a Bougainville diary, 1944-45:
And they're off! Whatsmyname takes an early lead, with Remember The Mane behind by a nose.
"But I'm off, Mr. Malone. We sit once a week and have done for four years without a break. Eight o'clock Thursdays." 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
off to see the wizard
Far; off to the side.
He took me down the corridor and into an off room.
He came in, took a look and squinched down into a chair in an off corner and didn’t open his mouth. 1937, Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Harper Perennial, published 2000, page 151:
the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse
Temporarily not attending a usual place, such as work or school, especially owing to illness or holiday.
John's off today. He's back on Wednesday.
Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from a post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent.
He took an off day for fishing. an off year in politics; the off season
(predicative) Presently unavailable. (of a dish on a menu)
I'll have the chicken please. — Sorry, chicken's off today.
(UK, in relation to a vehicle) On the side furthest from the kerb (the right-hand side if one drives on the left).
The off front wheel came loose.
The man and the horse came closer and were Sonny Jacobs of the Diamond Six and a smallish neat sorrel definitely favouring its off forefoot. 1963, Jack Schaefer, Monte Walsh, page 174:
In, or towards the half of the field away from the batsman's legs; the right side for a right-handed batsman.
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
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, “off”), Danish, Icelandic af (“from, off”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk av (“off”), Swedish af, av (“off”), Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af, “of, from”); and with Latin ab (“of, from, by”), Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “from”), and others.
Meanings
Not positioned upon; away from a position upon.
I took it off the table.
He's off the roof now.
Keep off the grass.
Detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from; away from a position of attachment or connection to.
The coat fell off the peg.
He was thrown off the team for cheating.
We've been off the grid for three days now.
He's off the computer, but he's still on the phone.
We're off their radar.
The phone is off the hook
Outside the area or region of.
The suspect is now believed to be off the campus.
I couldn't see what it said because the line of text ran off the page.
Temporarily not attending (a usual place), especially owing to illness or holiday.
off work; off school
Used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another, implying adjacency or accessibility via.
Look! There's a UFO off our left wing!
His office is off this corridor on the right.
We're just off the main road.
Used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another, implying adjacency or accessibility via. ▸ Used to express location at sea relative to land or mainland.
The island is 23 miles off the cape.
Used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another, implying adjacency or accessibility via. ▸ Used to indicate separation from a natural home or origin.
He used to be gone a lot of the time, off working on an oil rig.
Removed or subtracted from.
There's 20% off the list price.
No longer wanting or taking.
He's off his meds again.
He's been off his feed since Tuesday.
(colloquial, qualifier:more properly 'from') Out of the possession of.
He didn't buy it off him. He stole it off him.
Placed after a number (of products or parts, as if a unit), in commerce or engineering.
Tantalum bar 6 off 3/8" Dia × 12" — Atom, Great Britain Atomic Energy Authority, 1972
samples submitted … 12 off Thermistors type 1K3A531 … — BSI test report for shock and vibration testing, 2000
I'd like to re-order those printer cartridges, let's say 5-off.
(slang) Under the influence of.
The guy was off a perc.
(informal) As a result of; resulting from the actions of.
The team won off a late-game fumble by an opposing player.
The economy is rising off the strength of the tech sector.
sv av (away from a position upon) · ru с (away from a position upon) · sv från (used to express location at sea relative to land or mainland) · sv vid (used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another) · fi pois (removed or subtracted from) · fi pois (away from a position of attachment or connection to) · fr hors- (away from a position upon) · sv utan (no longer wanting or taking) · lt nuo (away from a position of attachment or connection to) · sv från (away from a position of attachment or connection to) · fi poissa (detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from) · lt nuo (removed or subtracted from) · fi -sta (away from a position upon) · sv borta (away from a position upon) · fi -lta (used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another) · lt nuo (detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from) · ru со (away from a position upon) · sv utanför (used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another) · sv rabatt (removed or subtracted from) · fi -lta (away from a position upon) · fi -lta (used to express location at sea relative to land or mainland) · fi -sta (used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another) · lt nuo (away from a position upon) · sv av (removed or subtracted from) · sv från (detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from) · sv ur (detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from) · sv ur (away from a position of attachment or connection to) · sv av (detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
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, “off”), Danish, Icelandic af (“from, off”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk av (“off”), Swedish af, av (“off”), Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af, “of, from”); and with Latin ab (“of, from, by”), Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “from”), and others.
Meanings
(not-comparable) In a direction away from the speaker or other reference point.
The Conception caught fire around 3:14 a.m. on Labor Day off Santa Cruz Island, about 20 miles away from the coast of mainland California. It was the last day of a three-day diving trip. 2019 September 27, Paul Vercammen, Steve Almasy, “ATF still looking to determine what caused deadly fire on California dive boat”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Oct 2019:
So this was my future home, I thought![…]Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams. 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
He drove off in a cloud of smoke.
No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or[…]. And at last I began to realize in my harassed soul that all elusion was futile, and to take such holidays as I could get, when he was off with a girl, in a spirit of thankfulness. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
(not-comparable) Into a state of non-operation or non-existence.
The dinosaurs died off long ago.
Please switch off the light when you leave.
(not-comparable) So as to remove or separate, or be removed or separated.
The space had been sectioned off with colorful plastic shelves so that her textbooks rested on the bottom and her binders and personal effects lay across the middle. 2010, Jo Whittemore, Front Page Face-Off, page 113:
He bit off the end of the carrot.
Please take your clothes off so that I can examine you.
Some branches were sawn off.
(not-comparable) Specifying the number of some item in bills, parts lists, etc.
3 off 20 amp fuses
(not-comparable) Offstage.
noises off
(not-comparable) Used in various other ways specific to individual idiomatic phrases, e.g. bring off, show off, put off, tell off, etc. See the entry for the individual phrase.
switch off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · space-time trade-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · jump off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · pull off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · one-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · run off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · nod off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · booger off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · off one's block (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · base off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · drop off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · hold off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · die off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · show off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offspringing (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · boom off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · keep off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · wear off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · slip off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · boiloff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bring off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · cock off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · sleep one off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · fetch off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · slow off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · break off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · set off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · pickoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bounce off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · trog off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bust off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · ripoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · print-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · brass off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · pay off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · hang off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bumpoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · make off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · ball it off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · caulk off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · off the shits (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · cut off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · chuck off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · go off at halfcock (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · runoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · power off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bundy off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · stall off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · throw off on (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · go off at half cock (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · ring off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · call off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · air off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bawl off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offput (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · throw off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · kick off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · trolley off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · gaff off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · tell off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · printoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · falling-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · turnoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · tap off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · fall off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · face-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · put off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offski (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · line off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offboard (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · rip off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · go off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · waveoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · piss off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offgoing (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · sit off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · run off on (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · lookoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · cue off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offsuit (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · blastoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · layoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · scrawl off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · drop off the map (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · fack off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · auto-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bake off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · flap off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bid off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · knock off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · get off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · showoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bomb off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · make off with (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · goof off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · jack off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bite someone's hand off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · cutoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offer (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · clean off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · let off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · pig off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offglide (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · off chance (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · trick off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · duck off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · flex off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · shuck off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · tick off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bird off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · steam off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · kill off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offlist (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · off-ramp (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · off-chain (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · shine off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · beggar off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · doss off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · time-memory trade-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bite off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · fart off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · back off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · yellow off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · off the heezy (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · shake off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · fuck off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · book off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · turn-off time (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · strap-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · shove off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · kickoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · take off one's gloves (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · lam off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · get up off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · payoff (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · begger off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · tear off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · spunk off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · freak off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · turn off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · take off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · gun off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · jump-off point (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · move off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · let-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · jerk off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offprint (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · ball off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · fall-off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · live off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · fall off the radar (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · off of (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · lay off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · round off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · bag off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · light off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · the wheels fall off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · blob off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · offscreen (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · sleep off (Terms derived from off (adverb)) · leave off (Terms derived from off (adverb))
de aus (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · sv från (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · ga ar shiúl (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · cy bant (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · pl od- (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · ru из- (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · hu el- (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · ru ис- (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · fi ulos (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · sv ifrån (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · kmr ve (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · nl uit (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · cy bant (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · mk од- (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · ru доло́й (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · kw dhe-ves (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · ru прочь (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · nl weg (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · fi alas (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · ru у- (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · mk ис- (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · cy i ffwrdd (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · kw yn farow (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · fi pois (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · cy i ffwrdd (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · is slökktur (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · cs pryč (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · pt desligado (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · sv av (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · ckb -ەوە (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · ga as (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · sv iväg (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · fi pois (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · ru от- (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · de davon (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · hu ki- (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · fi ylös (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · de weg (in a direction away from the speaker or object) · fr éteindre (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · mk из- (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · sv från (into a state of non-operation or non-existence) · ru вон (in a direction away from the speaker or object)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
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, “off”), Danish, Icelandic af (“from, off”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk av (“off”), Swedish af, av (“off”), Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af, “of, from”); and with Latin ab (“of, from, by”), Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “from”), and others.
Meanings
(qualifier:usually in phrases such as 'from the off'; 'at the off'; usually in phrases such as 'from the off'; 'at the off', uncountable, usually) Beginning; starting point.
He has been very obviously an untrustworthy narrator right from the off.
2023 Royal Ascot suit ... are you ready for the off?(title) 2022 December 1, “2023 Royal Ascot suit ... are you ready for the off?”, in anthonyformalwear.co.uk, archived from the original on 24 Jan 2022:
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
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, “off”), Danish, Icelandic af (“from, off”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk av (“off”), Swedish af, av (“off”), Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af, “of, from”); and with Latin ab (“of, from, by”), Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “from”), and others.
Meanings
(slang, transitive) To kill.
Most sorely missed is the relationship between Eggsy and Colin Firth’s delightfully avuncular mentor figure Harry Hart, who was offed, seemingly definitively with a bullet to the brain towards its end. 2017 September 19, Gwilym Mumford, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle review – spy sequel reaches new heights of skyscraping silliness”, in the Guardian:
(Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, transitive) To switch off.
Can you off the light?
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
offs
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
offed
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
offed
Tense=Past
lexicographic
offing
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
offn
English, Scotland, US, alternative, regional
lexicographic
Translations (17)
sv släcka (to switch off) · fi nistiä (to kill) · sv stänga av (to switch off) · ru убра́ть (to kill) · hu kinyír (to kill) · fi panna pois (to switch off) · pt apagar (to switch off) · eo elŝalti (to switch off) · pl sprzątnąć (to kill) · pt desligar (to switch off) · mk исклу́чува (to switch off) · cs vypnout (to switch off) · hu lekapcsol (to switch off) · pt apagar (to kill) · fi pistää pois (to switch off) · de kaltmachen (to kill) · ru ко́кнуть (to kill)