Pronunciation: /ɡoʊ ɔf/

Definitions of go off

verb to explode or detonate

Example Sentences

A1 The alarm clock will go off at 6 AM.

A2 I always set a timer so my food doesn't go off.

B1 The fireworks will go off at midnight to celebrate the New Year.

B2 The car alarm went off in the middle of the night, waking up the whole neighborhood.

C1 The bomb squad was called in when a suspicious package started to go off.

C2 The fire alarm went off, prompting everyone to evacuate the building immediately.

adverb in a manner that causes something to explode or detonate

Example Sentences

A1 The alarm clock will go off at 6 AM.

A2 The fireworks will go off at midnight.

B1 The car alarm went off in the middle of the night.

B2 The bomb squad was called in when the suspicious package started to go off.

C1 The fire alarm went off, causing everyone to evacuate the building.

C2 The smoke detector went off, alerting the family to a fire in the kitchen.

Examples of go off in a Sentence

formal The alarm will go off at precisely 6:00 AM.

informal I set my phone to go off in the morning so I don't oversleep.

slang I heard that party last night really went off!

figurative The fireworks display will go off at 9:00 PM sharp.

Grammatical Forms of go off

past tense

went

plural

go off

comparative

more go off

superlative

most go off

present tense

go off

future tense

will go off

perfect tense

have gone off

continuous tense

is going off

singular

goes off

positive degree

go off

infinitive

to go off

gerund

going off

participle

gone off

Origin and Evolution of go off

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The origin of the phrase 'go off' can be traced back to Middle English, where 'go' meant to proceed or move in a particular direction.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'go off' evolved to also mean to explode or detonate, as in the case of an alarm or an explosive device. It has further expanded to include the idea of something starting or happening suddenly or unexpectedly, such as a party 'going off' or a situation 'going off the rails'.