Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
📦 To unload goods 📝 To give tasks 💾 To move data
to offload

to offload

11 3.9
To take goods off a vehicle or container
  • verb
  • /ˌɔfˈloʊd/
: descargar
  • In years gone by, this was crowded with boats from countries like Brazil and Australia and India, queueing up to offload their cargo.
  • offload cargo

Now, where did they offload the sand?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • We will offload the furniture from the moving truck this afternoon.

  • The cargo was offloaded and then picked up by the A.S. Victoria.

    Blog text (30)

  • Now, where did they offload the sand?

    Brain Blaze

  • - Green team, pulling into position, ready to offload.

    The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991)

  • " Israel is prepared to receive the ship and to offload its contents.

    Blog text (17)

  • In the meantime, we offload our supplies.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • It'll just take a few minutes to offload the shipment.

    Kidnapped (2021)

  • Among the vessels at the landing stages, only one was being offloaded, and none were taking on cargo.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • And once the cargo is offloaded, the ships could bring back as many Narns as can fit.

    Whiskers (1997)

  • The Syrian Mi-25 attack helicopters were offloaded in the Baltic last month.

    Blog text (10)

Synonyms

to drop
vsto offload
722 2.7

To take someone or something from a vehicle and leave them at a place

is about unloading goods specifically, not just leaving items
to drop off
vsto offload
400 3.0

To take someone or something to a place and leave them there

emphasizes removing goods from a vehicle rather than delivering
to unload
vsto offload
125 2.6

Take things or people out of a vehicle like a truck

removes only goods or cargo rather than people
to jettison
vsto offload
29 7.8

Throw things from a ship or plane to make it lighter

describes ordinary removal of cargo without throwing or emergency intent
to haul away
vsto offload
8 3.4

To take away large or heavy things using a vehicle

is neutral for any cargo size, not only bulky items
to haul off
vsto offload
5 4.1

To take something away using a truck or van

focuses on removing goods from a vehicle itself rather than hauling away
to cart off
vsto offload
  • Informal
4 5.9

To take someone or something away by vehicle, often quickly and without care

is about planned removal of cargo, not sudden or emotional action
to set down
vsto offload
4 3.2

To take people or goods off a vehicle and leave them at a place

focuses on removing goods rather than delivering people
to carry off
vsto offload
4 4.4

To take a person to another place or to move someone's feelings suddenly

means practical removal of cargo, not emotional or sudden effect
to unload truck
vsto offload
  • US
2 2.5

To take packages out of a truck

applies to any vehicle or container, not only trucks
to cart away
vsto offload
  • Informal
1 4.1

To take something away in a vehicle, often because it is large or unwanted

is the simple act of removing cargo without implying disposal
to unship
vsto offload
  • Specialized
1 8.0

To remove goods and equipment from a ship or take items off where they are fixed

covers removing cargo from any vehicle or container broadly
to jettison cargo
vsto offload
1 7.6

To throw things off a ship or plane to make it lighter

is general removal of cargo without emergency dumping for lightening
to unlade
vsto offload
  • Archaic
9.9

To take goods off a vehicle like a ship

is the everyday action of removing goods from a vehicle
to sideload
vsto offload
6.6

To move goods onto a vehicle from the side

refers broadly to removing cargo without specifying the method

Antonyms

to load
572 1.0

To put things onto a vehicle or into a container

How Empty

to empty
179 1.0
to clear out
91 3.1
to offload
11 3.9
to unload
125 2.6
to remove
∞ 1.5

Surface Forms

offload infinitive
offloaded past
offloaded past participle
offloading present participle
offloads third person singular

Morphology

offload = load (transparent) = off + load

Literal meaning 'remove a load from' is a direct compositional combination of 'off' + 'load'.

Etymology

Offload comes from the parts off ('away') and load ('a weight or goods'), so it originally means taking the load away from a vehicle. So to offload boxes is to remove the goods from the van or ship.