to set off
7
3.7
- phrasal verb
- /sɛt ɔf/
:
resaltar
- The outside is sleek, ecru wood panels set off by crisp black shutters.
I want them to be like sharpie, inky, really rich black because I find that that sets off your eyes better than anything else.
- I want them to be like sharpie, inky, really rich black because I find that that sets off your eyes better than anything else.
Examples
-
And the way that outfit sets off your eyes, now hold still, please.
-
Her dress of white silk organza is set off by a lilac shawl.
Academic text (1997) -
But she knew the winter colors were going to set off his complexion just right.
Fiction book (1995) -
Way back when she bought the Civic, she'd chosen robin's-egg blue because it set off her eyes.
Fiction book (2001) -
So we've got a beautiful just dark green glossy wall to set off all of the plants.
-
It sits in a beautiful gilded frame, which sets off the swirling colors of the piece.
-
Nina was wearing a jacket and matching skirt whose soft periwinkle tones set off her honeyed skin.
Fiction book (1999) -
Bear Rocks offers many opportunities for artistic shots of weirdly sculpted rocks set off by spruce and other shrubs.
Academic text (2001) -
In the spring, colorful blossoms of mountain laurel and azalea set off by white outcroppings are a photographer's dream.
Academic text (2001) -
Her dress of white silk organza is set off by a lilac shawl.
Synonyms
340
3.3
To emphasize something so it stands out as important
76
3.0
Make a quality or detail easier to notice
27
6.0
Make a part of something more noticeable
2
5.8
To make something more noticeable or important
Make something seem important or worthy of attention
Antonyms
How Noticeable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'to counterbalance or compensate' is not directly derivable from 'set' (to place or initiate) + 'off' (away), so an average B1 learner knowing the words would likely not predict this specific meaning. There is a loose metaphorical link (off as neutralizing or cancelling), and particle-verb patterns can signal altered meanings, so the relation is partially transparent but requires prior exposure.
Etymology
Set off comes from the idea of placing one thing so it makes another look better — you set an object against a plain background to show it off, like a bright scarf on a dark coat. That's why it means 'to make something more noticeable'.