go off
12 synonyms for go off, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Phrasal verb — To speak or act with sudden intense energy — either ranting angrily or performing brilliantly. Which one is meant depends entirely on tone.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. phrasal verb informal
To speak or act with sudden intense energy — either ranting angrily or performing brilliantly. Which one is meant depends entirely on tone.
“Don't mention the parking situation or she'll go off for twenty minutes.”
2. phrasal verb
Of a bomb, gun or firework, to explode or be fired; of an alarm or alert, to start sounding.
“The device went off harmlessly in an empty field.”
How to use go off
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
The praise sense ('go off' meaning to excel, and the exclamation 'go off!') is young, informal and spoken.
