From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishoffoff1 /ɒf $ ɒːf/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb, preposition, adjective 1 HEREaway from a place He got into his car and drove off. Suddenly they turned off and parked in a side road. Once we were off the main freeway, the trip felt more like a vacation. Her husband was off on a business trip somewhere. Are you ready? Off we go. I must be off now (=I must leave). They were off to Italy (=leaving to go to Italy) and wanted to make an early start.2 not on something, or removed from something Keep off the grass. As he leaned forward, his hat fell off. Someone had taken the mirror off the wall. Take your coat off. I was trying to scrape the mud off my boots. ► Don’t say ‘off of’ something. Say off something: She fell off her chair (NOT off of her chair).3 TTLEAVE A PLACEout of a bus, train, plane etc OPP on I’ll get off at the next stop. Everyone got off the train at Winnipeg.4 TOFF/SWITCHED OFFa machine, piece of equipment etc that is off is not working or operating OPP on Will someone switch the radio off? Make sure all the lights are off.5 BEHOLIDAYnot at work, school etc because you are ill or on holiday → absent My secretary’s been off with flu for the past week. Clare had to stay off school because her mother was ill. You look tired. Why don’t you take tomorrow off? He needs more time off duty for relaxation and rest. ‘Going to work today, mum?’ ‘No. It’s my day off today.’ 6 TAKE something FROM somebody informal from someone My brother once borrowed some money off him. I got this necklace off a woman outside the market.7 a) DISTANCEused to say how far away something is We could see the cliffs of Shetland about two miles off. Kara’s home was a long way off across the sea. b) used to say how much time there is between now and a future event With the exams now only a week off, I had to study hard. Christmas seemed a long way off. c) used to say how likely or unlikely something is Any kind of peace agreement still seems a long way off.8 a) only a short distance away from a place Our hotel was just off the main street. an island off the coast of France b) connected to a particular room, area, road etc There’s a small bathroom off the main bedroom. a narrow street leading off the corner of the square9 BBTREDUCEused to say that a price is reduced by a particular amount If you buy more than ten, they knock 10% off.10 if an event which has been arranged is off, it will not now take place → cancelled, postponed The wedding’s off. The race may have to be called off if the bad weather continues. 11 British English informal behaviour that is off is rude or is not acceptable She walked out before the end of your lecture, which I thought was a bit off. Look, I know when someone’s being off with me.12 used to say how much of something someone hasbe well/badly off for something The school’s fairly well off for books these days. How are you off for sports equipment (=do you have enough?)? → well-off, badly off, better off13 → off and on14 INTERESTEDno longer wanting or liking something Toby’s been off his food for a few days.go off something/somebody British English I used to enjoy tennis, but I’ve gone off it a bit now. She seems to have gone off Mark since he’s grown a beard.15 MDno longer taking something such as a drug or medicine OPP on The operation was a success, and she’s off the morphine.16 a) food that is off is no longer fresh enough to eat → rotten, sour Ugh! The milk’s off. Do you think the meat’s gone off? b) used to say that a particular kind of food is not available in a restaurant although it is on the menu I’m sorry, the fish pie is off today, sir.17 American English not as good as usual Sales figures for last year were a little off compared with those of the previous year.18 American English not correct or not right Our calculations were off. Guess again. You’re way off (=very far from being correct). → right off at right2(2), → straight off at straight1(7), → off the top of your head at top1(18), → noises off at noise1(8)
Examples from the Corpus
off• Nancy waved good-bye as she drove off.• noises off• Polly's wedding was still about six weeks off.• The nearest town is fifteen kilometres off.• Can anyone get this lid off?• Do you get Christmas Eve off?• I'm afraid the wedding's off.• We need to stop off and get gas soon.• I'll get off at the next stop.• We were still several miles off, but you could already see a glow in the sky from the lights of the city.• The robbers must be a long way off by now.• Carol is off for the whole week.• It happened while his wife was off on a business trip.• Get 15% off on all winter coats in the store.• The suspects quickly turned off onto a side road.• I saw him hurrying off to catch his plane.• All the lights were off when I got home.• Take off your shoes.be well/badly off for something• Most men and women would be better off for not going to prison at all.• Besides all this, he would be well off for the first time in his life.way off• Guess again - you're way off.• He could hear voices from way off in another part of the house.• Way off in the distance I could see a light shining.• I could see snow-capped mountains way off in the distance. offoff2 adjective [only before noun] 1 → off day/week etc2 → off period/season etc3 TTC British English used to talk about a pair of things such as wheels on a car, to mean the one on the right OPP nearExamples from the Corpus
off• At the close of trading, the Dow Jones Index was off 28 points.• Johnson's free throw shooting was off.• Sales figures for the third quarter are a little off compared to the second quarter.offoff3 noun British English 1 → the off2 → from the offoffoff4 verb [transitive] American English informal KILLto kill someone The guy who did this ought to be offed.→ See Verb table 