off The word "off" is the opposite of "on." - The lights are off.
- It sounds like the engine is off. (It’s not running.)
- We turned off the hose. (There’s no water coming out of the hose.)
- Take off your coat.
There are many other uses for this word. Sometimes it means that a person made a wrong estimate or a wrong guess: - His calculation was off by 2.23%.
- Our sales figures are off this month.
- My estimate was just a little off.
- The forecast for rain was way off. It was hot and sunny today.
This word can also mean that something is far away: - Way off in the distance there are some mountains.
- The year 2100 is off in the future.
You can use "off" when something is cancelled: - The wedding is off.
- The game was called off because of rain.
- Our plans for next week are off.
This word is similar to "not" or "not on." - He likes to take his truck off road.
- The painting is off center. It needs to be moved to the left.
- The announcer said something very funny off camera. (The camera wasn’t on.)
- Her comment was off topic.
- This sounds like it’s off key. (The musical notes are not correct.)
- I’m off this weekend. (I’m not working.)
- Are you off the phone?
"Off" is also similar to "close to." - They live just off the highway.
- The castle is off the coast of the island.
There are many idioms that use "off." Here are just a few: - He lives off the land. (He grows his own food.)
- Are you ready to take off? (Are you ready to go?)
- A firecracker went off in his hand. (It exploded.)
- I feel like I’m a little off my game today. (I’m not performing very well.)
- Who signed off on this? (Who approved it?)
- The insecticide killed off all the mosquitoes.
Click here to learn more words. June 2014 |