off
♦♦♦ off
The preposition is pronounced /ɒf, AM ɔːf/. The adverb is pronounced /'ɒf, AM 'ɔːf/
In addition to the uses shown below, off is used after some verbs and nouns in order to introduce extra information. ♦♦♦ off
1 [PREP]
If something is taken off something else or moves off it, it is no longer touching that thing.
He took his feet off the desk...
I took the key for the room off a rack above her head...
Hugh wiped the rest of the blood off his face with his handkerchief.
= from
[ADV] ADV after v
Off is also an adverb.
Lee broke off a small piece of orange and held it out to him...
His exhaust fell off six laps from the finish.
2 [PREP]
When you get off a bus, train, or plane, you come out of it or leave it after you have been travelling on it.
Don't try to get on or off a moving train!...
As he stepped off the aeroplane, he was shot dead.
≠ on
[ADV] ADV after v
Off is also an adverb.
At the next stop the man got off too and introduced himself.
3 [PREP]
If you keep off a street or piece of land, you do not step on it or go there.
Locking up men does nothing more than keep them off the streets...
The local police had warned visitors to keep off the beach at night.
[ADV]
Off is also an adverb.
...a sign saying `Keep Off'.
4 [PREP]
If something is situated off a place such as a coast, room, or road, it is near to it or next to it, but not exactly in it.
The boat was anchored off the northern coast of the peninsula...
Lily lives in a penthouse just off Park Avenue...
5 [ADV] ADV after v, be ADV, oft ADV -ing
If you go off, you leave a place.
He was just about to drive off when the secretary came running out...
She gave a hurried wave and set off across the grass...
She was off again. Last year she had been to Kenya. This year it was Goa...
When his master's off traveling, Caleb stays with Pierre's parents.
6 [ADV] ADV after v
When you take off clothing or jewellery that you are wearing, you remove it from your body.
He took off his spectacles and rubbed frantically at the lens...
He hastily stripped off his old uniform and began pulling on the new one.
7 [ADV] usu n ADV, also be ADV
If you have time off or a particular day off, you do not go to work or school, for example because you are ill or it is a day when you do not usually work.
The rest of the men had the day off...
She was sacked for demanding Saturdays off...
I'm off tomorrow...
The average Swede was off sick 27 days last year.
[PREP]
Off is also a preposition.
He could not get time off work to go on holiday.
8 [PREP]
If you keep off a subject, you deliberately avoid talking about it.
Keep off the subject of politics...
Keep the conversation off linguistic matters.
9 [ADV] be ADV, ADV after v
If something such as an agreement or a sporting event is off, it is cancelled.
Until Pointon is completely happy, however, the deal's off...
Greenpeace refused to call off the event.
≠ on
10 [PREP]
If someone is off something harmful such as a drug, they have stopped taking or using it.
She felt better and the psychiatrist took her off drug therapy...
11 [PREP]
If you are off something, you have stopped liking it.
I'm off coffee at the moment...
Diarrhoea can make you feel weak, as well as putting you off your food.
12 [ADV] be ADV, ADV after v
When something such as a machine or electric light is off, it is not functioning or in use. When you switch it off, you stop it functioning.
As he pulled into the driveway, he saw her bedroom light was off...
We used sail power and turned the engine off to save our fuel...
The microphones had been switched off.
≠ on
13 [PREP] amount PREP n
If there is money off something, its price is reduced by the amount specified.
...Simons Leatherwear, 37 Old Christchurch Road. 20 per cent off all jackets this Saturday.
...discounts offering thousands of pounds off the normal price of a car.
[ADV] ADV after v, v-link ADV, amount ADV
Off is also an adverb.
I'm prepared to knock five hundred pounds off but no more.
14 [ADV] n/amount ADV
If something is a long way off, it is a long distance away from you.
Florida was a long way off...
Below you, though still 50 miles off, is the most treeless stretch of land imaginable.
= away
15 [ADV] n/amount ADV
If something is a long time off, it will not happen for a long time.
An end to the crisis seems a long way off...
The required technology is probably still two years off.
16 [PREP]
If you get something off someone, you obtain it from them. (SPOKEN)
I don't really get a lot of information, and if I do I get it off Mark...
`Telmex' was bought off the government by a group of investors.
= from
17 [ADJ] v-link ADJ
If food has gone off, it tastes and smells bad because it is no longer fresh enough to be eaten. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use spoiled, bad)
Don't eat that! It's mouldy. It's gone off!
= bad
18 [PREP] v PREP n
If you live off a particular kind of food, you eat it in order to live. If you live off a particular source of money, you use it to live.
Her husband's memories are of living off roast chicken and drinking whisky...
Antony had been living off the sale of his own paintings.
= on
19 [PREP] v PREP n
If a machine runs off a particular kind of fuel or power, it uses that power in order to function.
The Auto Compact Disc Cleaner can run off batteries or mains.
20 [PHRASE] PHR after v, PHR with cl
If something happens on and off, or off and on, it happens occasionally, or only for part of a period of time, not in a regular or continuous way.
I was still working on and off as a waitress to support myself...
We lived together, off and on, for two years.off day (off days)
also off-day
[N-COUNT]
If someone has an off day, they do not perform as well as usual. (INFORMAL)
Whittingham, the League's top scorer, had an off day, missing three good chances.off lim|its
also off-limits
1 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ to n
If a place is off limits to someone, they are not allowed to go there.
Downing Street has been off limits to the general public since 1982...
Certain areas have been declared off limits to servicemen.
2 [ADJ] v-link ADJ, oft ADJ for n
If you say that an activity or a substance is off limits for someone, you mean that they are not allowed to do it or have it.
Fraternizing with the customers is off-limits...off sea|son
also off-season
1 [N-SING] also no det, oft N n
The off season is the time of the year when not many people go on holiday and when things such as hotels and plane tickets are often cheaper.
It is possible to vacation at some of the more expensive resorts if you go in the off-season...
Although it was off-season, the hotel was fully occupied.
...off-season prices.
= low season
≠ high season
[ADV] usu ADV with cl, also ADV after v
Off season is also an adverb.
Times become more flexible off-season, especially in the smaller provincial museums.
2 [N-SING] oft N n
The off season is the time of the year when a particular sport is not played.
He has coached and played in Italy during the Australian off-season.
...intensive off-season training.
≠ season
[ADV] usu ADV with cl, also ADV after v
Off season is also an adverb.
To stay fit off season, I play tennis or football.off top|ic
also off-topic
[ADJ]
If you describe something that someone says or writes as off topic, you mean that it is not relevant to the current discussion; used especially of discussions on the Internet.
In addition to the 81 positive comments, 26 students had neutral, mixed, negative or off topic views.
The preposition is pronounced /ɒf, AM ɔːf/. The adverb is pronounced /'ɒf, AM 'ɔːf/
In addition to the uses shown below, off is used after some verbs and nouns in order to introduce extra information. ♦♦♦ off
1 [PREP]
If something is taken off something else or moves off it, it is no longer touching that thing.
He took his feet off the desk...
I took the key for the room off a rack above her head...
Hugh wiped the rest of the blood off his face with his handkerchief.
= from
[ADV] ADV after v
Off is also an adverb.
Lee broke off a small piece of orange and held it out to him...
His exhaust fell off six laps from the finish.
2 [PREP]
When you get off a bus, train, or plane, you come out of it or leave it after you have been travelling on it.
Don't try to get on or off a moving train!...
As he stepped off the aeroplane, he was shot dead.
≠ on
[ADV] ADV after v
Off is also an adverb.
At the next stop the man got off too and introduced himself.
3 [PREP]
If you keep off a street or piece of land, you do not step on it or go there.
Locking up men does nothing more than keep them off the streets...
The local police had warned visitors to keep off the beach at night.
[ADV]
Off is also an adverb.
...a sign saying `Keep Off'.
4 [PREP]
If something is situated off a place such as a coast, room, or road, it is near to it or next to it, but not exactly in it.
The boat was anchored off the northern coast of the peninsula...
Lily lives in a penthouse just off Park Avenue...
5 [ADV] ADV after v, be ADV, oft ADV -ing
If you go off, you leave a place.
He was just about to drive off when the secretary came running out...
She gave a hurried wave and set off across the grass...
She was off again. Last year she had been to Kenya. This year it was Goa...
When his master's off traveling, Caleb stays with Pierre's parents.
6 [ADV] ADV after v
When you take off clothing or jewellery that you are wearing, you remove it from your body.
He took off his spectacles and rubbed frantically at the lens...
He hastily stripped off his old uniform and began pulling on the new one.
7 [ADV] usu n ADV, also be ADV
If you have time off or a particular day off, you do not go to work or school, for example because you are ill or it is a day when you do not usually work.
The rest of the men had the day off...
She was sacked for demanding Saturdays off...
I'm off tomorrow...
The average Swede was off sick 27 days last year.
[PREP]
Off is also a preposition.
He could not get time off work to go on holiday.
8 [PREP]
If you keep off a subject, you deliberately avoid talking about it.
Keep off the subject of politics...
Keep the conversation off linguistic matters.
9 [ADV] be ADV, ADV after v
If something such as an agreement or a sporting event is off, it is cancelled.
Until Pointon is completely happy, however, the deal's off...
Greenpeace refused to call off the event.
≠ on
10 [PREP]
If someone is off something harmful such as a drug, they have stopped taking or using it.
She felt better and the psychiatrist took her off drug therapy...
11 [PREP]
If you are off something, you have stopped liking it.
I'm off coffee at the moment...
Diarrhoea can make you feel weak, as well as putting you off your food.
12 [ADV] be ADV, ADV after v
When something such as a machine or electric light is off, it is not functioning or in use. When you switch it off, you stop it functioning.
As he pulled into the driveway, he saw her bedroom light was off...
We used sail power and turned the engine off to save our fuel...
The microphones had been switched off.
≠ on
13 [PREP] amount PREP n
If there is money off something, its price is reduced by the amount specified.
...Simons Leatherwear, 37 Old Christchurch Road. 20 per cent off all jackets this Saturday.
...discounts offering thousands of pounds off the normal price of a car.
[ADV] ADV after v, v-link ADV, amount ADV
Off is also an adverb.
I'm prepared to knock five hundred pounds off but no more.
14 [ADV] n/amount ADV
If something is a long way off, it is a long distance away from you.
Florida was a long way off...
Below you, though still 50 miles off, is the most treeless stretch of land imaginable.
= away
15 [ADV] n/amount ADV
If something is a long time off, it will not happen for a long time.
An end to the crisis seems a long way off...
The required technology is probably still two years off.
16 [PREP]
If you get something off someone, you obtain it from them. (SPOKEN)
I don't really get a lot of information, and if I do I get it off Mark...
`Telmex' was bought off the government by a group of investors.
= from
17 [ADJ] v-link ADJ
If food has gone off, it tastes and smells bad because it is no longer fresh enough to be eaten. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use spoiled, bad)
Don't eat that! It's mouldy. It's gone off!
= bad
18 [PREP] v PREP n
If you live off a particular kind of food, you eat it in order to live. If you live off a particular source of money, you use it to live.
Her husband's memories are of living off roast chicken and drinking whisky...
Antony had been living off the sale of his own paintings.
= on
19 [PREP] v PREP n
If a machine runs off a particular kind of fuel or power, it uses that power in order to function.
The Auto Compact Disc Cleaner can run off batteries or mains.
20 [PHRASE] PHR after v, PHR with cl
If something happens on and off, or off and on, it happens occasionally, or only for part of a period of time, not in a regular or continuous way.
I was still working on and off as a waitress to support myself...
We lived together, off and on, for two years.off day (off days)
also off-day
[N-COUNT]
If someone has an off day, they do not perform as well as usual. (INFORMAL)
Whittingham, the League's top scorer, had an off day, missing three good chances.off lim|its
also off-limits
1 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ to n
If a place is off limits to someone, they are not allowed to go there.
Downing Street has been off limits to the general public since 1982...
Certain areas have been declared off limits to servicemen.
2 [ADJ] v-link ADJ, oft ADJ for n
If you say that an activity or a substance is off limits for someone, you mean that they are not allowed to do it or have it.
Fraternizing with the customers is off-limits...off sea|son
also off-season
1 [N-SING] also no det, oft N n
The off season is the time of the year when not many people go on holiday and when things such as hotels and plane tickets are often cheaper.
It is possible to vacation at some of the more expensive resorts if you go in the off-season...
Although it was off-season, the hotel was fully occupied.
...off-season prices.
= low season
≠ high season
[ADV] usu ADV with cl, also ADV after v
Off season is also an adverb.
Times become more flexible off-season, especially in the smaller provincial museums.
2 [N-SING] oft N n
The off season is the time of the year when a particular sport is not played.
He has coached and played in Italy during the Australian off-season.
...intensive off-season training.
≠ season
[ADV] usu ADV with cl, also ADV after v
Off season is also an adverb.
To stay fit off season, I play tennis or football.off top|ic
also off-topic
[ADJ]
If you describe something that someone says or writes as off topic, you mean that it is not relevant to the current discussion; used especially of discussions on the Internet.
In addition to the 81 positive comments, 26 students had neutral, mixed, negative or off topic views.