give off

verb

gave off; given off; giving off; gives off

transitive verb

1

: to send out as a branch

2

: emit

gave off an unpleasant smell

intransitive verb

: to branch off

Examples of give off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The color gives off a soft, romantic vibe—perfect for those brides who are marrying around Valentine’s Day. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026

Even its oracular title, One Boat, gives off an air of bathos. — Lola Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

And some manage the difficult trick of tasting like fall without giving off loads of scented-candle energy. — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Mike Mayo, who leads large-cap bank research at Wells Fargo, says John Waldron gives off the affect of an English Lit professor from the Midwest. — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for give off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff

Kids Definition

give off

verb

: emit sense 1a

gave off a sweet smell