In addition to the uses shown below, of is used after some verbs, nouns, and adjectives in order to introduce extra information.Of is also used in phrasal prepositions such as 'because of', 'instead of' and 'in spiteof', and in phrasal verbs such as 'make of' and 'dispose of'.
1. preposition
You use of to combine two nouns when the first noun identifies the feature of the second noun that you want to talk about.
The average age of the women interviewed was only 21.5.
...the population of this town.
The aim of the exercise is to come up with more ideas
2. preposition
You use of to combine two nouns, or a noun and a present participle, when the second noun or present participle defines or gives more information about the first noun.
Would you say what you felt was a feeling of betrayal?
She let out a little cry of pain.
...the problem of a national shortage of teachers.
...an idealized but hazy notion of world socialism.
...the recession of 1974–75.
This has been a good chance of meeting up with everyone again.
3. preposition
You use of after nouns referring to actions to specify the person or thing that is affected by the action or that performs the action. For example, 'the kidnapping of the child' refers to an action affecting a child; 'the arrival of the next train' refers to an action performed by a train.
...the reduction of trade union power inside the party.
...the assessment of future senior managers.
...the death of their father.
...the Marriage of Figaro.
4. preposition
You use of after words and phrases referring to quantities or groups of things to indicate thesubstance or thing that is being measured.
...40 litres of water.
...a few kilometres of new roads.
...dozens of people.
...billions of dollars.
...groups of protestors.
...a collection of short stories.
A flock of birds flew towards us slowly from far away.
5. preposition
You use of after the name of someone or something to introduce the institution or place they belong to or are connected with.
...the Prince of Wales.
...the Finance Minister of Bangladesh.
...the superb rock-hewn Cave Temples of Badami.
6. preposition
You use of after a noun referring to a container to form an expression referring to the container and its contents.
We could all do with a cup of tea.
She brought out a bottle of sauce.
Marta drank a glass of juice.
...a box of tissues.
...a packet of spaghetti.
...a roomful of people.
7. preposition
You use of after a count noun and before an uncount noun when you want to talk about an individual piece or item.
...a blade of grass.
Marina ate only one slice of bread.
With a stick of chalk he wrote her order on a blackboard.
8. preposition
You use of to indicate the materials or things that form something.
...local decorations of wood and straw.
...loose-fitting garments of linen.
...a mixture of paint-thinner and petrol.
9. preposition
You use of after a noun which specifies a particular part of something, to introduce the thing that it is a part of.
...the other side of the square.
We had almost reached the end of the street.
...the beginning of the year.
Edward disappeared around 9.30pm on the 23rd of July.
...the core of the problem.
10. preposition
You use of after some verbs to indicate someone or something else involved in the action.
He'd been dreaming of her.
Listen, I shall be thinking of you always.
Her parents did not approve of her decision.
The Americans cannot accuse him of ignoring the problem.
The elderly relative had died of old age.
11. preposition
You use of after some adjectives to indicate the thing that a feeling or quality relates to.
I have grown very fond of Alec.
His father was quite naturally very proud of him.
I think everyone was scared of her.
She would be guilty of betraying her own mother.
12. preposition
You use of before a word referring to the person who performed an action when saying what you think about the action.
This has been so nice, so terribly kind of you.
I suppose it's stupid of us not to be able to make up our own minds.
That's certainly very generous of you Tony.
13. preposition
You use of after a noun which describes someone or something, to introduce the person or thing you are talking about.
...an awkward, slow-moving giant of a man.
14. preposition
If something is more of or less of a particular thing, it is that thing to a greater or smaller degree.
Your extra fat may be more of a health risk than you realize.
As time goes by, sleeping becomes less of a problem.
15. preposition
You use of to indicate a characteristic or quality that someone or something has.
...the worth of their music.
She is a woman of enviable beauty.
...a matter of overwhelming importance.
The new deal was considered to be the most generous of its kind.
16. preposition [bePREP n]
You use of after the verb 'be' to indicate a characteristic or quality that someone or somethinghas.
[formal]
The crisis faced over the next few months is of an entirely different scale.
Both world wars were of unquestionable importance as economic events.
17. preposition
You use of to specify an amount, value, or age.
Last Thursday, Nick announced record revenues of $3.4 billion.
He has been sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison since 1973.
The last figures so far this year indicate a rise of 13.8%.
...young people under the age of 16 years.
18. preposition
You use of after a noun such as 'month' or 'year' to indicate the length of time that some state or activity continues.
...eight bruising years of war.
The project has gone through nearly a dozen years of planning.
19. preposition
You can use of to say what time it is by indicating how many minutes there are before the hour mentioned.
[US]
At about a quarter of eight in the evening, Joe Urber calls.
We got to the beach at five of one in the afternoon.
More Synonyms of of
English Easy Learning GrammarPrepositionsA preposition is one of a small but very common group of words that relate differentitems to each other. Most English prepositions have a number of meanings ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarShowing possession through nounsPossession can be shown in two ways: The man was mending his car. The car was being mended by a man. by adding -’s to a singular noun, or an irregular ... Read more
of in British English
(ɒv, unstressed əv)
preposition
1.
used with a verbal noun or gerund to link it with a following noun that is either the subject or the object of the verb embedded in the gerund
the breathing of a fine swimmer (subject)
the breathing of clean air (object)
2.
used to indicate possession, origin, or association
the house of my sister
to die of hunger
3.
used after words or phrases expressing quantities
a pint of milk
4.
constituted by, containing, or characterized by
a family of high-achievers
a rod of iron
a person of some depth
5.
used to indicate separation, as in time or space
within a mile of the town
within ten minutes of the beginning of the concert
6.
used to mark apposition
the city of Naples
a speech on the subject of archaeology
7.
about; concerning
speak to me of love
8.
used in passive constructions to indicate the agent
he was beloved of all
9. informal
used to indicate a day or part of a period of time when some activity habitually occurs
I play bingo of an evening
10. US
before the hour of
a quarter of nine
▶ USAGE See note at off
Word origin
Old English (as prep and adv); related to Old Norse af, Old High German aba, Latin ab, Greek apo
OF in British English
abbreviation for
Old French (language)
OF in American English
Old French
of in American English1
(ʌv)
preposition
1.
from
; specif.,
a.
derived or coming from
men of Ohio
b.
resulting from; caused by; through
to die of fever
c.
proceeding as a product from; by
the poems of Poe
d.
resulting from an operation or process involving
the product of 3 and 4
e.
at a distance from or apart from (a specified reference point)
east of the city
f.
deprived, relieved, or separated from
cured of cancer, robbed of his money
g.
from the whole, or total number, constituting
part of the time, one of her hats
h.
distinguished as by excellence from among
the greatest of our Presidents
i.
distinguished as the best, most important, etc. from among
the holy of holies
j.
made from; using as its material (a specified substance)
a sheet of paper, made of tin
2.
is what was done, expressed, etc. by
how wise of her!
3.
belonging to
the pages of a book, the square root of 3, that dog of his
4.
a.
having; possessing
a man of property
b.
containing
a bag of nuts
5.
a.
that is; having the designation of; specified as
the state of Utah, a height of six feet
b.
as a way to characterize
a prince of a fellow
6.
with (something specified) as object, goal, etc.
a reader of books
7.
a.
having as a distinguishing quality or attribute; characterized by
a man of honor, a year of plenty
b.
as characterized with respect to
quick of mind, hard of heart
8.
concerning; about; with reference to
think well of me
9.
set aside for; dedicated to
a day of rest
10.
a.
during
of late years
b. Informal
on or at (a specified day, time, etc.)
he came of a Friday
11.
before
used in telling time
ten minutes of nine
12. Archaic
by
rejected of men
▶ USAGE: Of is also used in various idiomatic expressions (as in of course), many of which are entered in this dictionary under the key words
Word origin
ME < OE, unstressed var. of af, æf, away (from); akin to Ger ab < IE base *apo-, from, away from > L ab (see ab-), Gr apo-
of in American English2
Baseball
1.
outfield
2.
outfielder
of- in American English
(ɔf; ɑf; əf)
ob-
used before f
offer
Examples of 'of' in a sentence
of
Was I a relative or perhaps a close friend of Mr Tedeschi's, she asked me.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
Then I spoke... We had some sort of conversation, which I can't remember now.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
Finally she interrupted to ask which one of us was Mr Tedeschi.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
Patricia was reading Plaintiff's Exhibit 7 on her side of the table.
Lisa Scottoline RUNNING FROM THE LAW (2001)
They're so small all it takes is some plastic wrap and a little bit of- " "I'll call you back, Jeremy.
Jack Kerley THE HUNDREDTH MAN (2004)
In other languages
of
British English: of /ɒv; əv/ PREPOSITION
belonging to You use of to show that one thing belongs to another.
…the holiday homes of the rich.
American English: of
Arabic: حَرْفُ وَصْلِ
Brazilian Portuguese: de
Chinese: ...的
Croatian: od
Czech: z
Danish: af
Dutch: van
European Spanish: de
Finnish: NO TRANSLATION
French: de
German: von
Greek: εξ
Italian: di
Japanese: ･･･の
Korean: ...의 속하다
Norwegian: av
Polish: z
European Portuguese: de
Romanian: al
Russian: с
Latin American Spanish: de
Swedish: av
Thai: ของ
Turkish: onun
Ukrainian: вказує на приналежність предметa
Vietnamese: của sở hữu
British English: of /ɒv; əv/ PREPOSITION
used to talk about amounts You use of to talk about amounts.
Russian: (указывает на количественную характеристику)
Latin American Spanish: de
Swedish: med
Thai: ในจำนวน
Turkish: nın
Ukrainian: вказує на кількісну характеристику
Vietnamese: chứa
British English: of /ɒv; əv/ PREPOSITION
about You use of to mean about.
He was thinking of her.
American English: of
Arabic: عَنْ
Brazilian Portuguese: em
Chinese: 关于
Croatian: o
Czech: o
Danish: på
Dutch: aan
European Spanish: en
Finnish: NO TRANSLATION
French: deà propos de
German: an
Greek: για
Italian: a
Japanese: ･･･について
Korean: ~에 대해서
Norwegian: på
Polish: o
European Portuguese: sobre
Romanian: la
Russian: о
Latin American Spanish: sobreacerca de
Swedish: på
Thai: เกี่ยวกับ
Turkish: hakkında
Ukrainian: про
Vietnamese: về
Chinese translation of 'of'
of
(ɔv; əv)
prep
(gen) 的 (de)
the history of China中国(國)历(歷)史 (Zhōngguó lìshǐ)
at the end of the street在街的尽(盡)头(頭) (zài jiē de jìntóu)
the president of France法国(國)总(總)统(統) (Fǎguó zǒngtǒng)
a friend of ours/mine我们(們)/我的一个(個)朋友 (wǒmen/wǒ de yī gè péngyou)
the city of New York纽(紐)约(約)城 (Niǔyuēchéng)
south of Madrid马(馬)德里的南部 (Mǎdélǐ de nánbù)
how silly of him not to say anything!他只(隻)字未提真是太傻了！ (Tā zhī zì wèi tí zhēn shì tài shǎ le!)
(expressing quantity, amount)
a kilo of flour一公斤面(麵)粉 (yī gōngjīn miànfěn)
a cup of tea/vase of flowers一杯茶/一瓶花 (yī bēi chá/yī píng huā)
a slice of bread一片面(麵)包 (yī piàn miànbāo)
there were three of them他们(們)有3个(個) (tāmen yǒu sān gè)
three of us went我们(們)3人去了 (wǒmen sān rén qù le)
can some of you help?你们(們)中有人能帮(幫)忙吗(嗎)？ (nǐmen zhōng yǒu rén néng bāngmáng ma?)
I'll eat half of it我要吃一半 (wǒ yào chī yī bàn)
the number of road accidents交通事故的数(數)量 (jiāotōng shìgù de shùliàng)
an annual income of $30,000每年3万(萬)美元的收入 (měinián sānwàn měiyuán de shōurù)
(= made of) 由 ... 制(製)成 (yóu ... zhìchéng)
made of wood木制(製)的 (mùzhì de)
(in dates)
the 5th of July7月5日 (qīyuè wǔ rì)
the winter of 20012001年的冬天 (èrlínglíngyī nián de dōngtiān)
(US, in times)
at five of three3点(點)差5分 (sān diǎn chà wǔ fēn)
All related terms of 'of'
bags of
( Brit : inf : lots of ) 许(許)多 xǔduō
come of
( result from ) 是 ... 的结(結)果 shì ... de jiéguǒ
full of
( objects, people ) 充满(滿) chōngmǎn ⇒ His office was full of policemen. → 他的办公室里满是警察。 Tā de bàngōngshì li mǎn shì jǐngchá. ( confidence, hope ) → 充满 chōngmǎn ⇒ I was full of confidence. → 我充满了信心。 Wǒ chōngmǎnle xìnxīn.
late of
( frm : until recently of ) 直到最近 zhídào zuìjìn ⇒ Jane Smith, late of Bristol → 简·史密斯，直到最近一直住在布里斯托尔 Jiǎn Shǐmìsī, zhídào zuìjìn yīzhí zhù zài Bùlǐsītuō'ěr
lots of
( things, people ) 许(許)多 xǔduō
make of
看待 kàndài ⇒ What did you make of the Prime Minister's speech last night? → 你怎么看待昨晚首相的讲话？ Nǐ zěnme kàndài zuówǎn shǒuxiàng de jiǎnghuà?
of late
( frm : recently ) 近来(來) jìnlái
of note
有名望 yǒu míngwàng
out of
( outside : with movement ) 出 chū
sort of
( inf ) 有点(點)儿(兒) yǒu diǎnr ⇒ It's a sort of yellowish colour. → 是一种有点儿发黄的颜色。 Shì yī zhǒng yǒudiǎnr fāhuáng de yánsè.
tons of
( inf ) 大量的 dàliàng de
want of
( frm : lack ) 缺乏 quēfá
west of
... 以西 ... yǐ xī ⇒ It's 15 miles or so west of Oxford. → 它位于牛津以西15英里左右。 Tā wèiyú Niújīn yǐ xī shíwǔ yīnglǐ zuǒyòu.
ahead of
( in front of ) 在 ... 之前 zài ... zhīqián
allow of
( permit ) 容许(許) róngxǔ
north of
... 以北 ... yǐběi
dozens of
许(許)多 xǔduō
masses of
( inf ) 大量 dàliàng
oceans of
( inf ) 许(許)多 xǔduō
of course
( naturally ) 自然 zìrán
plenty of
( food, money, time ) 很多 hěn duō
upward of
( more than ) 多于(於) ... duōyú ...
a bit of
有点(點) yǒudiǎn ⇒ I'm sorry, the room's in a bit of a mess. → 对不起，房间有点乱。 Duìbuqǐ, fángjiān yǒu diǎn luàn.
a lot of
( many, much ) 许(許)多 xǔduō ⇒ a lot of people → 许多人 xǔduō rén
a raft of
大量 dàliàng
a slew of
大量 dàliàng
a spot of
( esp Brit : small amount : lunch, activity ) 少量 shǎoliàng
all of us
我们(們)中的所有人 wǒmen zhōng de suǒyǒu rén
approve of
( be pleased about : action, event, idea ) 赞(贊)成 zànchéng
because of
因为(為) yīnwèi
do out of
( deprive of ) 夺(奪)去 duóqù
east of ...
... 以东(東) ... yǐdōng ⇒ It's 15 miles or so east of Manchester. → 它位于曼彻斯特以东15英里左右。 Tā wèiyú Mànchèsītè yǐdōng shíwǔ yīnglǐ zuǒyòu.
in aid of
( esp Brit : charity ) 用以援助 yòng yǐ yuánzhù
instead of
而不是 ér bù shì
mindful of
留神的 liúshén de
of course!
没(沒)问(問)题(題)！ méi wèntí!
on top of
( above ) 在 ... 上面 zài ... shàngmiàn ⇒ She laid her hand on top of his. → 她把手放在他的手上。 Tā bǎ shǒu fàng zài tā de shǒu shang.
outside of
( apart from ) 除了 chúle
typical of
典型的 diǎnxíng de
unheard-of
( unknown ) 无(無)先例的 wú xiānlì de
a couple of
( two ) 两(兩)个(個) liǎng gè
a feast of
( fig ) 许(許)许(許)多多的 xǔxǔ-duōduō de
a model of
... 的典范(範) ... de diǎnfàn
a number of
( several ) 几(幾)个(個) jǐ gè
a score of
几(幾)个(個) jǐ gè
a spate of
大量 dàliàng
a third of
三分之一 sān fēn zhī yī
a trace of
微量的 wēiliàng de
act of God
( Law ) 不可抗力 bù kě kàng lì
best of all
最好不过(過)的是 zuì hǎo bùguò de shì
All related terms of 'of'
fond of
attached to, in love with, keen on, attracted to, having a soft spot for
kind of
rather, quite, sort of, a little, a bit
of late
recently, just now, in recent times, not long ago, latterly
of note
famous, prestigious, eminent, renowned, of standing
sort of
rather, somewhat, as it were, slightly, moderately
ahead of
before, in front of, in advance of
aware of
knowing about, familiar with, conscious of, wise to, alert to
bereft of
deprived of, without, minus, lacking in, devoid of
on account of, through, because of, due to, as a result of
by virtue of
because of, in view of, on account of, based on, thanks to
coat of arms
heraldry, crest, insignia, escutcheon, blazonry
come of age
reach adulthood, mature, develop, grow up, bloom
in excess of
exceeding, over, more than, above
in favour of
for, backing, supporting, behind, pro
in front of
facing, before
in place of
instead of, rather than, in exchange for, as an alternative to, taking the place of
in quest of
searching for, after, seeking, looking for, in search of
in search of
seeking, looking for, hunting for, in pursuit of, on the lookout for
in spite of
despite, regardless of, notwithstanding, in defiance of, (even) though
in terms of
with regard to, concerning, regarding, as to, in connection with
irrespective of
despite, in spite of, regardless of, discounting, notwithstanding
out of date
old-fashioned, ancient, dated, discarded, extinct
(preposition)
Definition
about or concerning
I was thinking of you the other day.
Synonyms
about
on
concerning
regarding
with respect to
as regards
Usage note
Of is sometimes used instead of have in phrases such as should have, could have, and might have. This is because, when people are speaking, they often drop the h at the beginning of have, making the word's pronunciation very similar to that of of. Using of in this way is, however, regarded as nonstandard, and in writing it should definitely be avoided.