adverb | preposition | adjective | verb
offoff1 /ɔf/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb 1away or from where something is: She drove off at top speed. We turned off onto a side road. I saw him hurrying off to catch his plane. We’re off (=we are leaving). It happened while his wife was off on a business trip.2out of a bus, train, car, etc.: I’ll get off at the next stop. We need to stop off and get gas soon.3removed or not fastened to something anymore OPP on: Can anyone get this lid off? Take off your shoes.4a machine, piece of equipment, etc. that is off is not working or operating OPP on: All the lights were off when I got home. Don’t forget to turn off the oven.5not at work, school, etc. because you are sick or on vacation: Carol is off for the whole week. I’m going to take Thursday off to go to the dentist. Do you get Christmas Eve off?6lower in price by a particular amount: Get 15% off on all winter coats.7an arranged event that is off will not happen OPP on: I’m afraid the wedding’s off. Union leaders were asked to call off the strike (=arrange for it not to happen).8a particular distance away, or a particular amount of time away in the future: Polly’s wedding was still about six weeks off (=it would happen six weeks in the future). I could see snow-capped mountains way off in the distance.9off and on (also on and off) for short periods but not regularly, over a long period of time: Rachel and Alan have been dating off and on for five years.10used in stage directions to mean that a sound or voice is not on the stage but still able to be heard in the theater SYN offstage: noises off → see also better off, well-off adverb | preposition | adjective | verb
offoff2 ●●● S1 W1 preposition 1
not on something or someone, or not touching something or someone OPP on: Get your feet off my couch. The lids were off the paint cans.2out of a bus, train, airplane, etc. OPP on: I got off the bus in Cleveland.3no longer held or supported by something: A girl had fallen off her horse. I finally took his picture off the wall.4no longer connected or fastened to something: My badge fell off my jacket. Cut a slice off the loaf.5a)away from a particular place: Three players were sent off the field. The truck forced my car off the road. b)near and connected to a path or road: Oak Hills? Isn’t that off Route 290? a room just off (=connected to) the Oval office c)in a body of water but near the land: a boat ten miles off Cape Cod an island off the coast of West Africa6no longer taking something such as medicine or drugs: He says he’s been off cocaine for five months.7taken or obtained from someone or something: I bought the shirt off a street vendor. What will you live off while you’re studying?8not in a particular building, area, etc.: Our club had to meet off school grounds. → see also off guard, get/be/stay off the subject at subject1 (1) adverb | preposition | adjective | verb
offoff3 ●●● S3 adjective 1[not before noun] not as good as usual: Sales figures are a little off this quarter. Our performance is way off (=much worse than usual).2[not before noun] not exactly right or completely correct: Our calculations were off. Johnson’s free throw shooting was way off (=completely incorrect).3[not before noun] social studies, economics used to show that the stock exchange has fallen in value by a particular amount: At the close of trading, the Dow Jones Index was off 28 points.4spoken strange or unusual: There was something slightly off about the way he answered.5an off day/week etc. informal a day, week, etc. when you are not doing something as well as you usually do it: Everyone has an off day every now and then. → see also off-season adverb | preposition | adjective | verb
offoff4 verb [transitive] slang to kill someone