Idiom idiom
beg off
Meaning
To obtain somebody's permission to skip or cancel an event that one has previously arranged with them.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I am tired, so I will beg off the party tonight.”
“She had to beg off the dinner invitation because she suddenly felt unwell after work.”
“Although he had initially promised to attend the gala, he decided to beg off at the last minute to avoid the inevitable confrontation with his former business partner.”
Origin
From the verb beg and the adverb off, first recorded in the mid-18th century. The compound describes the act of seeking release from a prior engagement or duty through a formal request.
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026