# hack off

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hack-off
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to annoy someone

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

to make someone feel very annoyed or angry.

For teachers: to irritate or annoy someone significantly. This sense is primarily British and informal.

- It really hacks me off when people leave their rubbish on the train.
- The constant delays and lack of communication from the airline really hacked off the passengers who had been waiting for hours.

Usage: The object (the person being annoyed) can be placed between 'hack' and 'off' or after the full phrase.

Teaching tip: This is a common British expression; it is less vulgar than 'piss off' but still quite informal and best avoided in professional writing.

### 2. to cut off roughly

phrasal verb · CEFR B2

to remove something by cutting it in a rough or violent way.

For teachers: to remove a part of something by hacking or using forceful, uneven strokes with a blade.

- He had to hack off the dead branches to save the rest of the tree.
- The survivor managed to hack off a piece of the thick canvas to create a makeshift shelter against the storm.

Usage: This is a transitive phrasal verb; the object can be placed between the verb and the particle.

## Examples

- It really hacks me off when people cut in line.
- She was totally hacked off because her boss forgot to mention her hard work during the meeting.
- The local residents were clearly hacked off by the council's decision to build a motorway through the ancient woodland without any prior consultation.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: this is a milder, more polite alternative to 'piss off' in British English, making it useful for learners who want to sound informal but not vulgar.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.