Be Off

Pronunciation: /bi ɒf/

Definitions of be off

verb To leave or depart, especially quickly or abruptly.

Example Sentences

A1 I need to be off work by 5pm.

A2 The bus will be off in 10 minutes.

B1 I have to be off to catch my flight.

B2 The meeting will be off if we don't have enough attendees.

C1 The event will be off if it rains.

C2 The deal is off if they don't agree to our terms.

Examples of be off in a Sentence

formal I must be off to my meeting now, but I will see you later.

informal I should be off soon, so let's wrap up this conversation.

slang I'm gonna be off to the party in a bit, wanna come along?

figurative His mind seemed to be off in another world during the entire meeting.

Grammatical Forms of be off

• past tense: was off
• plural: are off
• comparative: more off
• superlative: most off
• present tense: am off
• future tense: will be off
• perfect tense: have been off
• continuous tense: being off
• singular: is off
• positive degree: off
• infinitive: to be off
• gerund: being off
• participle: been off

Origin and Evolution of be off

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'be off' originated from Middle English, where 'off' was used as an adverb indicating a direction or movement away from a place or position.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'be off' evolved to signify leaving or departing from a location or situation. It is now commonly used in informal speech to indicate a person's intention to leave or move away.