off
- adverb
- /ɔf/
- All right, first off, it's not a man, okay?
- off to the side
- off we go
- off to the clink
Examples
-
The Fire Nation killed my mother, and my father is off fighting in the war.
Academic text (2010) -
First off, let me say welcome.
-
I said goodbye to my family and was off to my first teaching job.
Academic text (2005) -
Weeks had already passed, my cast was off, and there was an early snow on the ground.
Fiction book (1991) -
And the next day they're off to school, most of them anyway.
Academic text (2006) -
Off to the docks, are we?
-
And as before, Geordi was off to the side at the engineering console.
Fiction book (1991) -
She's probably off in some bar having a Dirty Banana.
-
I'm off and running.
-
After finishing my breakfast, I was off to work without any delay.
Synonyms
To move or look to a place that is not here
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
People keep money or wages off official records to avoid taxes and other rules
- Informal
A situation where previous plans no longer apply and no one knows what will happen
- Informal
A person who is very like one of their parents in looks or behaviour
- Informal
Speak to someone for a very long time in a way that annoys them
- Informal
So generous that they would give almost everything to help others
Compounds
- Specialized
Professional small theaters in New York City with fewer than 500 seats that show new or experimental plays
- Specialized
Removing the value of a debt or asset from accounts when it cannot be paid
A gun with very short barrels that shoots many small metal balls at close range
An area in a room or building separated from others by a hanging cloth to give privacy
How Far
Surface Forms
Etymology
Off comes from Old English of meaning 'away', and as an adverb it still means 'away from a place'. That is why you can jump off a bus or drive off down the road.