off

verb

offed; offing; offs
Synonyms of offnext

intransitive verb

: to go away : depart
used chiefly as an imperative
Off with you!

Examples of off in a Sentence

The movie is about a gangster who gets power by offing his rivals. the hit man was rumored to have offed at least three people in the last year alone
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Too bad then that the man holding a debt over his head (Jonathan Coyne) is actually planning on offing him in his last match. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 May 2026 One of them, Elle (Sophie Thatche), is haunted by a nefarious murderer, the Leather Man, who is offing women around the city. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 May 2026 The masked murderer attempted to kill Sidney (Neve Campbell) in a bathroom in the original 1996 Scream, and succeeded in offing Phil (Omar Epps) in a movie theater bathroom stall in the 1997 sequel. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026 Keen observers, Anglophiles, and anyone who watches movies made before 1972 will notice more than a casual similarity to Kind Hearts and Coronets, the old Ealing comedy in which an enterprising young Dennis Price attempts to off his relatives in order to claim the family fortune. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off

Word History

Etymology
First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of off was in 1717

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

off

1 of 3 adverb
1
a
: from a place or position
march off
stood 10 paces off
drove the dogs off
b
: from a course : aside
turned off onto a side street
c
: into an unconscious state
dozed off
2
: so as to be separated from support or close contact
rolled to the edge of the table and off
the handle came off
3
: so as to be divided
surface marked off into squares
4
: so as to be stopped or finished
shut off an engine
a coat of paint to finish it off
5
: away from work
took the day off

off

2 of 3 preposition
(ˈ)ȯf
1
: away from the surface, position, or place of
take it off the table
the ball bounced off the wall
a path off the main road
2
used to indicate the object of an action
borrowed a dollar off him
living off my parents
3
a
: released or freed from
off duty
b
: below the usual level of
off her game
a dollar off the price

off

3 of 3 adjective
(ˈ)ȯf
1
a
: not left : right
the off horse
b
: more distant
the off side of the building
2
: started on the way
off on a trip
they're off and running
3
a
: not taking place
the game is off
b
: not operating
the radio is off
4
a
: not correct : wrong
these numbers are off
your guess is way off
b
: not entirely sane
c
: small in degree : slight
an off chance
5
: being not as busy as usual
liked to vacation during the off season
6
a
: not very good : poor
an off grade of oil
b
: below or down from the normal
stocks were off
offered at 15% off
7
: provided for or taken care of
we were better off before

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