\ ˈȯf
\
\
Definition of off
(Entry 1 of 6)
1a(1)
: from a place or position
march off
specifically
: away from land
ship stood off to sea
(2)
: at a distance in space or time
stood 10 paces off a long way off
b
: from a course : aside
turned off into a bypath
specifically
: away from the wind
The ship eased off a point or two.
c
: into an unconscious state
dozed off
2a
: so as to be separated from support
rolled to the edge of the table and off
or close contact
blew the lid off the handle came off
b
: so as to be divided
surface marked off into squares
3a
: to a state of discontinuance or suspension
shut off an engine
b
—used as an intensifier drink off a glassfinish it off
4
: in absence from or suspension of regular work or service
take time off for lunch
5
: offstage
The actor turns and goes off.
off
prepositionDefinition of off (Entry 2 of 6)
1a
—used as a function word to indicate physical separation or distance from a position of rest, attachment, or union take it off the tablea path off the main walka shop just off the main street
b
: to seaward of
two miles off shore
2
: from the possession or charge of
had his wallet stolen off him
3
—used as a function word to indicate the object of an action borrowed a dollar off himdined off oysters
4a
—used as a function word to indicate the suspension of an occupation or activity off dutyoff liquor
b
: below the usual standard or level of
off his game
off
adjectiveDefinition of off (Entry 3 of 6)
2a
: started on the way
off on a spree
b
: not taking place or staying in effect : canceled
the deal was off
c
: not operating
d
: not placed so as to permit operation
4a
: spent off duty
reading on his off days
b
: marked by a periodic decline in activity or business
traveled in the off season for lower prices
6
: circumstanced
worse off
off
verb
offed; offing; offs
Definition of off (Entry 4 of 6)
: to go away : depart
—used chiefly as an imperative Off, or I'll shoot!
off
abbreviationDefinition of off (Entry 5 of 6)
office; officer; official
-off
noun combining form
\ ˌȯf \
Definition of -off (Entry 6 of 6)
: competition : contest
cook-off dance-off
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Synonyms & Antonyms for off
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Adjective
- bad,
- bastard,
- bush,
- bush-league,
- crummy
- (also crumby),
- deficient,
- dissatisfactory,
- ill,
- inferior,
- lame,
- lousy,
- paltry,
- poor,
- punk,
- sour,
- suboptimal,
- subpar,
- substandard,
- unacceptable,
- unsatisfactory,
- wack
- [slang],
- wanting,
- wretched,
- wrong
Synonyms: Verb
- assassinate,
- bump off,
- croak
- [slang],
- dispatch,
- do in,
- execute,
- get,
- ice
- [slang],
- knock off,
- liquidate,
- murder,
- neutralize,
- put away,
- rub out,
- slay,
- snuff,
- take out,
- terminate,
- whack
- [slang]
Antonyms: Adjective
- acceptable,
- adequate,
- all right,
- decent,
- fine,
- OK
- (or okay),
- passable,
- respectable,
- satisfactory,
- standard,
- tolerable
Examples of off in a Sentence
Adverb
She put on her jacket and off she went.
The car turned off onto a side street.
Preposition
She is still living off her parents.
The family lives off welfare.
They live off the land.
They make their living off tourism.
Adjective
The lever is in the off position.
He is off playing golf.
She is off on a trip.
Verb
The movie is about a gangster who gets power by offing his rivals.
the hit man bragged that he'd offed at least three people in the last year alone
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
Fedotowsky-Manno noticed something was off in her body and quickly let her doctor know.
—
Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, 30 July 2021
Skinny Dipped noticed the chocolate-almond ratio was off and decided to make this popular snack in a different way.
—
Jessie Shafer, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 July 2021
Is Gawain really off to reunite with the Green Knight, or has the Green Knight perhaps been traveling with him all along, manifesting himself in a different form each time?
—
Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2021
When Kevin Durant's foot was off by an inch in Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference semifinals, his shot was worth two points instead of three, and the Brooklyn Nets lost in overtime.
—
Elle Reeve, CNN, 28 July 2021
But the placement of the Washington Monument is off just enough to annoy me.
—
Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 28 July 2021
The Indians are off again Monday, giving the 62-year-old even more time to get healthy.
—
Tom Withers, orlandosentinel.com, 25 July 2021
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are off and running one year after the Summer Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
—
Tim Bielik, cleveland, 23 July 2021
Blue Jays: Will be off Thursday before taking on the New York Mets in the opener of a seven-game road trip on Friday.
—
Mike Haim, ajc, 22 July 2021
Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition
The city came out of the pandemic mostly unscathed compared to others around the country — employees weren’t laid off or furloughed — in part because its largest funding source is property taxes, which proved mostly resilient.
—
Ryan Gillespie, orlandosentinel.com, 19 July 2021
The union said that as of June, the program had supplied 350,000 packages of food to laid off and furloughed hospitality workers.
—
Samantha Laine Perfas, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 July 2021
Like many workers, Ewing and her husband, who both work in restaurants, were laid off during the pandemic and relied on their unemployment checks to pay the rent.
—
Randy Tucker, The Enquirer, 18 July 2021
Eubanks said the center laid off staff last year, when the coronavirus pandemic forced it to shrink its capacity.
—
Tegan Hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2021
Her family’s income went down by two-thirds in March 2020, when she was laid off from her job as an e-commerce manager Atlanta due to COVID-19.
—
Abby Vesoulis, Time, 16 July 2021
Brianna Lauren Pomo, a bartender and server for about eight years, was laid off in March 2020 from a French restaurant in Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County.
—
Carly Olson, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2021
Katie Stelka of Brookfield, Wisconsin, was laid off from her job as a beauty and haircare products buyer for the Kohl’s department store chain in September as the pandemic tightened its grip on the country.
—
Josh Boak, ajc, 15 July 2021
Little Goat Diner laid off 96 employees, Girl and the Goat 55 and 42 at Duck Duck Goat.
—
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 15 July 2021
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Twenty-year-old Raboutou is the off-spring of two world-class competition climbers and grew up at the elite ABC climbing gym in Boulder, Colorado, which is owned and operated by her parents.
—
Sandy Hooper, USA TODAY, 20 July 2021
Policyholders are driving more in off hours, and many are driving faster.
—
Leslie Scism, WSJ, 20 July 2021
According to the campaign: Whitmer, a Democrat from East Lansing, in the latest campaign finance period has raised more than $8.5 million since January, which is more than any Michigan gubernatorial candidate has raised in an off-election year.
—
Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 20 July 2021
Shawn speaks across species with his acrobatic timbre, using his off-kilter imagination and knack for comically prurient description: Blanche, a cat, is Ben’s most ardent lover, and also a kind of wordless antagonist.
—
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 July 2021
Cooper collapsed and stopped breathing, and an off-duty paramedic gave him chest compressions.
—
Alice Yin, chicagotribune.com, 17 July 2021
Horse advocates gathered at the Utah Capitol to denounce the Onaqui gather and the BLM’s round-up program in general, which has led to thousands of horses landing in off-range captivity for life at a cost of tens of millions of dollars a year.
—
Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 July 2021
For an extravagant feast, there’s a five- or even eight-course blind chef’s tasting with off-menu surprises, or settle in for more casual fare at The Café’s year-round covered outdoor terrace (still with waterfront views).
—
BostonGlobe.com, 13 July 2021
For his Haute Couture Week debut, Jean-Raymond went even further off-piste, selecting Villa Lewaro, a venue more than 3,600 miles from Paris and 35 miles north of Brooklyn.
—
Alison S. Cohn, Harper's BAZAAR, 12 July 2021
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Brabham is a gentle man who hardly seems capable of splatting a spider, much less offing a rodent.
—
Andrea Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 5 Nov. 2019
Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Start-up Basics will be offed at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24.
—
cleveland, 17 Feb. 2020
Brabham is a gentle man who hardly seems capable of splatting a spider, much less offing a rodent.
—
Andrea Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 5 Nov. 2019
Brabham is a gentle man who hardly seems capable of splatting a spider, much less offing a rodent.
—
Andrea Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 5 Nov. 2019
Brabham is a gentle man who hardly seems capable of splatting a spider, much less offing a rodent.
—
Andrea Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 5 Nov. 2019
Brabham is a gentle man who hardly seems capable of splatting a spider, much less offing a rodent.
—
Andrea Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 5 Nov. 2019
Brabham is a gentle man who hardly seems capable of splatting a spider, much less offing a rodent.
—
Andrea Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 5 Nov. 2019
Brabham is a gentle man who hardly seems capable of splatting a spider, much less offing a rodent.
—
Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'off.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More About off
Statistics for off
Last Updated
1 Aug 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off. Accessed 1 Aug. 2021.
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More Definitions for off
off
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of off
(Entry 1 of 4)
: away from a place
: away from a main road, path, etc.
: at a distance in time or space
off
prepositionEnglish Language Learners Definition of off (Entry 2 of 4)
—used to indicate separation, distance, or removal from someone or something
: on money, food, energy, etc., supplied by (someone or something)
—used to indicate something that someone is no longer doing or using
off
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of off (Entry 3 of 4)
: not attached to or covering something : not on
: not operating, functioning, or flowing
: in a position that stops the flow of electricity, water, etc.
off
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of off (Entry 4 of 4)
US slang
: to kill or murder (someone)
See the full definition for off in the English Language Learners Dictionary
off
adverb
\ ˈȯf
\
\
Kids Definition of off
(Entry 1 of 4)
1
: from a place or position
He got angry and marched off.
2
: from a course : aside
The driver turned off onto a side street.
3
: so as not to be supported, covering or enclosing, or attached
I jumped off. The lid blew off. The handle fell off.
4
: so as to be discontinued or finished
Turn the radio off. The couple paid off their debts.
5
: away from work
I took the day off.
off
prepositionKids Definition of off (Entry 2 of 4)
1
: away from the surface or top of
Take those books off the table.
2
: at the expense of
I lived off my parents.
3
: released or freed from
The officer was off duty.
4
: below the usual level of
We can save a dollar off the price.
5
: away from
The hotel is just off the highway.
off
adjectiveKids Definition of off (Entry 3 of 4)
1
: not operating or flowing
The radio is off. The electricity is off.
2
: not attached to or covering
The lid is off.
3
: started on the way
They're off on a trip.
4
: not taking place
The game is off.
5
: not correct : wrong
Your guess is way off.
6
: not as good as usual
He's having an off day.
7
: provided for
His family is well off.
8
: small in degree : slight
There's an off chance I'll win.
9
: away from home or work
He's off fishing.
off.
abbreviationKids Definition of off.
office
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Time Traveler for off
The first known use of off was before the 12th century
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