write off

11 synonyms and 3 antonyms for write off, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To decide that someone or something is a failure and not worth any further effort or attention.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

discount expense

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

dismiss disregard cancel

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

give up on charge off total loss totalled car dead loss washout

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To decide that someone or something is a failure and not worth any further effort or attention.

“Don't write him off, he's beaten worse odds.”

dismiss give up on discount disregard

Opposites

back rate give a chance

2. verb

To cancel a debt in the accounts, or to record an asset as having lost all its value.

“The bank wrote off two million in bad loans.”

cancel expense charge off

3. noun British

A vehicle so badly damaged that repairing it would cost more than it is worth; usually written write-off.

“The insurer declared the car a write-off.”

total loss totalled car

4. noun informal

A period of time completely wasted or ruined.

“With the boiler broken, the whole weekend was a write-off.”

dead loss washout

How to use write off

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

write off a debt write it off against tax declared a write-off written off as insurance write-off

The verb is two words (write off); the noun and adjective take a hyphen (a write-off, write-off value). Past tense wrote off, past participle written off. Americans usually say a car has been totalled rather than written off.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a write-off and a write-down?

A write-down reduces the recorded value of an asset to a lower but still positive figure. A write-off takes it to zero, treating it as worthless or uncollectable. A write-off is the extreme case of a write-down.

What does it mean when a car is written off?

The insurer has judged that repairs would cost more than the car is worth, or that it is unsafe to repair. They pay out its market value and take ownership; UK write-offs are graded into categories that determine whether the car can ever be driven again.

Does writing something off against tax mean it is free?

No. A write-off reduces your taxable profit, so you save only your tax rate on the amount spent. Spending a pound to save perhaps twenty pence of tax still costs you eighty pence.

People also searched

back rate expense discount cancel dismiss disregard washout

Nearby words

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