# off

/ˈɔf/ (US) · /ˈɒf/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/off
Updated: 2026-06-16

## Senses

### 1. away from a place

adverb · CEFR A1

moving away from a person or a place.

For teachers: indicating movement in a direction away from a reference point or speaker.

- The thief ran off before the police could arrive at the shop.
- The hikers set off at dawn, hoping to reach the summit before the afternoon heat became unbearable.

### 2. stopping a machine

adverb · CEFR A1

into a state where a machine or light is no longer working.

For teachers: indicating the cessation of operation or the disconnection of an electrical circuit.

- Please turn the lights off when you leave the classroom.
- The safety mechanism automatically switches the power off if the internal temperature exceeds a specific threshold.

### 3. not on something

preposition · CEFR A1

away from a surface or position.

For teachers: indicating a position away from or no longer in contact with a surface.

- Keep your feet off the sofa while you are wearing shoes.
- The cat jumped off the fence and disappeared into the thick bushes behind the garden shed.

### 4. near a place

preposition · CEFR B1

near to a place, especially out at sea near the coast.

For teachers: indicating proximity to a location, typically used for ships or islands relative to a coastline.

- The ship sank just off the coast of Ireland during the storm.
- The small island lies just off the mainland, accessible only by a private ferry that runs twice daily.

### 5. not working or cancelled

adjective · CEFR A2

not operating, or describing an event that will not happen.

For teachers: describing a state of non-operation or the cancellation of a previously scheduled event.

- The wedding is off because the couple decided to wait another year.
- The heating has been off all morning, leaving the office uncomfortably cold for the staff.

### 6. spoiled food

adjective · CEFR B1 · British English

food that is no longer fresh or safe to eat.

For teachers: describing food or drink that has begun to decay or has become sour.

- Don't drink that milk; I think it smells a bit off.
- The chef insisted on discarding the cream, noting that it had gone off due to the refrigeration failure overnight.

### 7. away from work

adjective · CEFR B1

not at work or school, usually because of a holiday or being sick.

For teachers: absent from one's place of employment or duty.

- She is off today with a bad cold, so she won't answer her emails.
- Most of the senior staff are off on annual leave this week, so the decision will have to wait until Monday.

### 8. unfriendly or rude

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

behaving in a way that is slightly rude or not as friendly as usual.

For teachers: describing behaviour that is socially inappropriate, unfriendly, or below a standard of expected politeness.

- He was a bit off with me this morning, and I don't know why.
- Her tone during the meeting was somewhat off, suggesting a level of frustration she was trying to hide from the clients.

### 9. to kill

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang

a slang word meaning to kill someone.

For teachers: to murder or assassinate someone. Transitive use.

- In the movie, the gang leader decided to off his rival.
- The plot of the thriller revolves around a professional hitman hired to off a high-ranking government official.

### 10. removed

adverb · CEFR A1

so that something is no longer attached or worn.

For teachers: indicating the removal of clothing or the separation of a part from a whole.

- He took his coat off as soon as he entered the warm house.
- The label had been torn off the bottle, making it impossible to identify the contents without a chemical test.

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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.