ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fire off

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford Informal

phr. v.. to send a message or an email very quickly, often without thinking too much about it.

phr. v.. to dispatch a communication, such as an email or letter, with speed and often in a series; can also refer to the rapid discharge of shots or questions.


SIMPLE

I need to fire off a quick email to my boss.

CONTEXTUAL

She sat down at her desk and fired off three replies before her coffee even got cold.

COMPLEX

The journalist fired off a series of pointed questions, barely giving the spokesperson enough time to formulate a coherent response.

Particles
off
Separability
optional
Pattern
fire + off + object
Usage

usually implies speed, urgency, or a lack of hesitation in the action.

Teaching tip

the metaphor comes from weaponry (firing a gun); use this to explain the sense of speed and 'shooting' messages toward a target.

Pitfall

He fired off to the manager an email.He fired off an email to the manager.the direct object (the message) should follow the phrasal verb before the recipient.

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