off
of
Off (adv) means Away from a place, position, or reference point. Example: “She drove off without saying goodbye.”
adv
1
Away from a place, position, or reference point.
"She drove off without saying goodbye."
"He waved goodbye and walked off down the quiet lane."
"The village is a few miles off, so we will take the bus."
adj
1
Not switched on or not working; turned off.
"Make sure the stove is off before you leave."
"The lights were off in the hall, so I felt for the switch."
"Is the heating off, or has the boiler simply stopped working?"
2
Cancelled or no longer happening.
"The wedding is off after they broke up last week."
"The match is off because the pitch is flooded."
"If it rains on Saturday, the picnic is off, I'm afraid."
3
Of food or drink: spoiled or gone bad.
"This milk smells off — throw it out."
"I think the chicken has gone off, so we should not eat it."
"The yoghurt tasted a bit off, so she tipped it down the sink."
prep
1
Away from, detached from, or no longer touching something.
"The picture fell off the wall."
"Please keep your feet off the sofa while I clean the floor."
"The cat jumped off the table when she heard the door."
How to use off
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAway from, disconnected, switched off, cancelled, or (of food) spoiled — a very common, multi-purpose word.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
switch off
call it off
off the record
a day off
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like off.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Third person singular
- offs
- Past tense
- offed
- Comparative
- more off
- Superlative
- most off
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She drove _____ without saying goodbye.
Etymology
From Old English of/æf, meaning "away, off" — a doublet of the word "of", which it split apart from in Middle English.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for off
See all rhymes for off →Frequently asked questions
What does “off” mean?
The word “off” means away from a place, position, or reference point. In plain terms, away from, disconnected, switched off, cancelled, or (of food) spoiled — a very common, multi-purpose word.
How do you pronounce “off”?
“Off” is pronounced of (/ɔf/ in IPA).
How do you use “off” in a sentence?
Here is “off” used in a sentence: “She drove off without saying goodbye.”
What is another word for “off”?
Words with a similar meaning to “off” include away and out.
What is the opposite of “off”?
The opposite of “off” — its antonyms — are in and on.
What part of speech is “off”?
Depending on how it is used, “off” can be an adverb, an adjective and a preposition.
Where does the word “off” come from?
The word “off” comes from Old English. From Old English of/æf, meaning "away, off" — a doublet of the word "of", which it split apart from in Middle English.
Is “off” a common word?
“Off” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between "off" and "of"?
"Off" means away from a place, position, or reference point, or describes something not switched on ("the light is off"). "Of" is an unstressed preposition showing belonging or connection ("a cup of tea"). They are pronounced differently too — "off" rhymes with "cough," while "of" sounds like "uv."
Is "off of" correct grammar?
The "of" in "off of" is redundant, because "off" alone already means away from something: "she jumped off the wall." "Off of" is common in informal American speech, but formal writing prefers plain "off."
Is it "a day off" or "an off day"?
They mean different things. "A day off" is a day away from work or your usual duties, while "an off day" is a day when you perform worse than usual or things are not working as they should. Both are standard expressions.
What is the difference between "switched off" and "turned off"?
There is no difference in meaning — both describe a device that is not switched on or not working. "Switched off" is more common in British English and "turned off" in American English, but each is understood everywhere.
Example sentences
Real-world examples showing off in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
They ran to the glass window, climbed over to the other side and jumped off, according to police.
From
The Seattle Times · Jul 25, 2026
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include off:
