Pronunciation: /ɔf/

Definitions of off

adverb Away from a place or position

Example Sentences

A1 I turned off the light before going to bed.

A2 She took her shoes off before entering the house.

B1 The teacher told the students to turn off their cell phones during the exam.

B2 The pilot announced that all electronic devices needed to be switched off for takeoff.

C1 The company decided to lay off a significant number of employees due to financial difficulties.

C2 The government issued a warning to stay off the roads during the severe weather conditions.

preposition In the direction away from something

Example Sentences

A1 The cat jumped off the table.

A2 She took her jacket off before entering the house.

B1 The plane took off from the runway.

B2 He turned off the lights before going to bed.

C1 The company laid off several employees due to budget cuts.

C2 The professor brushed off the student's question with a vague answer.

Examples of off in a Sentence

formal The employee requested time off for a family emergency.

informal I'm taking Friday off to go to the beach.

slang Let's blow this joint and head off to the party!

figurative She brushed off his comments and continued with her work.

Grammatical Forms of off

past tense

offed

plural

offs

comparative

more off

superlative

most off

present tense

off

future tense

will off

perfect tense

have offed

continuous tense

is offing

singular

off

positive degree

off

infinitive

to off

gerund

offing

participle

offed

Origin and Evolution of off

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'off' originated from the Old English word 'of', which meant away or from.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'off' has evolved to be used in various contexts, such as indicating separation, cessation, or negation.