off

off1 [ ɔf, af ] function word ***

Off can be used in the following ways:

as an adverb:

He waved and drove off.

She took her coat off and hung it up.

My house is a long way off.

as a preposition:

She got off the bus at the next stop.

Keep off the grass. In spoken American English off of is often used instead of the preposition off, but many speakers of British English think that this is not correct.

as an adjective:

I'm having an off day.

1. ) away from something leaving a place or going away from something:

With only $150 in his pocket, he set off for New Mexico.

I'd never let an 11-year-old kid go off on his own.

be off: If you don't need me any more, I'll be off.

be off to: I'm off to Vancouver next Tuesday.

2. ) going out of a vehicle leaving a plane, train, bus, etc.:

get off: Ask the driver to stop the bus so we can get off.

They didn't see each other till they got off the plane.

off of: I couldn't wait to get off of the ship.

3. ) not on something not on the top or surface of something, especially after being on it:

The wind blew a flower pot off the balcony.

Hold on tight so you don't slip off.

I had to scrape the dirt off the walls.

I was so surprised I nearly fell off my chair.

off of: She tried to push the dog off of her but it kept jumping up.

keep/stay off: There was a sign saying Keep off the grass.

4. ) no longer connected no longer connected to someone or something:

They cut off seven branches from the tree.

Cindy was playing with the doll when its leg fell off.

off of: The handle came off of the coffee pot again.

5. ) not working a machine or piece of electrical equipment that is off is not switched on or is not being used:

The lights were off in the big house.

I saw that all the machines were turned off.

6. ) when clothes are removed used for saying that clothes or shoes are removed:

We told the children to take off their wet clothes.

She kicked off her shoes and settled down on the sofa.

7. ) close to something

a ) near a particular street, road, etc., but not directly on it:

The restaurant is just off the main road.

b ) connected to a particular room or space:

You'll find a bathroom just off the master bedroom.

c ) in a part of the ocean that is near the land:

Two miles off the coast, we sailed right into the storm.

Coast Guard boats stopped the smugglers off of the Florida Keys.

8. ) not at work not at work, for example because you are not well or because it is not a normal working day:

I'm considering taking quite a bit of time off work.

We're planning a trip to the zoo on my day off.

I took two weeks off in August.

be off (=not at work): She's off sick today.

9. ) not discussing something not talking about a particular subject:

We were told to stay off the subject of babies.

10. ) no longer planned used for saying that an event is no longer going to take place as planned:

Sorry, but the meeting's off.

Tonight's game has been called off because of bad weather.

11. ) no longer eating, using, or doing something

1

a ) no longer taking drugs or other harmful substances:

I've been off alcohol now for three weeks.

He went to a treatment center where he was gradually weaned off heroin.

1

b ) no longer eating or drinking something or no longer doing an activity because you do not like it any more:

I'm off sweet things at the moment.

go off something: I've gone off watching daytime talk shows.

12. ) reduced used for saying that a price has been reduced by a particular amount:

There's now 30% off all swimsuits.

Shares fell almost 10%, wiping $400 million off the company's value.

take something off something: They agreed to take $5 off the price.

13. ) a particular time or distance away

1

a ) used for saying how much time there is between the present and a time or event in the future:

Christmas is only three weeks off.

a long time/way off: Retirement is still a long time off.

1

b ) a particular distance away:

Their farm is only twenty miles off.

a long way off: The nearest seaside resort is a long way off.

14. ) from someone/something SPOKEN used for stating the person or thing that something is taken from:

Let's see if we can get some money off my Dad.

I got your phone number off the members' list.

15. ) not in a place not within a particular area:

People were warned to stay off the streets.

16. ) not normal strange or unusual:

Something about the way he talked was a little off.

17. ) no longer good MAINLY BRITISH food that is off is no longer fresh and is not good to eat:

This cream is slightly off.

go off: This meat smells as if it's gone off.

18. ) in a good or bad situation

1

a ) be well/badly off to be rich/poor:

The local farmers all looked pretty badly off.

She comes from a very well-off family.

1

b ) be well/badly off for something INFORMAL to have a large/small amount of something:

Most of the colleges are pretty well off for computers.

The kids are quite badly off for clothes.

how are you off for something?: How are you off for money?

1

c ) be better/worse off MAINLY SPOKEN to be in a situation that is better/worse for you than another one:

I'm starting to think I'd be better off without him.

You couldn't be any worse off than you are now.

19. ) using fuel or electricity BRITISH used for saying that a machine or piece of equipment works by using a type of fuel or electricity:

Most modern cars run off lead-free gas.

off and on/on and off

sometimes but not regularly:

She's been taking drugs off and on since she was 16.

right/straight off INFORMAL

immediately:

He told us right off that he wasn't happy about the decision.

off

off 2 [ ɔf, af ] verb transitive VERY INFORMAL

to kill someone