Tra từ off - Từ điển tiếng Anh - Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary

off UK [ɒf] US [ɑːf] adverb

AWAY FROM

1. <E > away from a place or position, especially the present place, position or time
• He drove off at the most incredible speed.
• Keep the dog on the lead or he'll just run off.
• Someone's run off with (= taken) my pen.
• I'm just going off to the shops.
• If we can get off (= leave) early tomorrow morning we'll avoid most of the traffic.
• I'm off now - see you tomorrow.
• She's off to Canada next week.
• I saw her off (= said goodbye) at the station.
• The exams are so far off that I'm not even thinking about them yet.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Distant in space and time

• When we heard she'd got the job, we all went off for a celebratory drink.
• The horses set off at a canter.
• The dog trotted off to bury its bone.
• I'm jetting off to New Zealand next week.
• The gang drove off, with the police in hot pursuit.

REMOVED

2. <E > used with actions in which something is removed or removes itself from another thing
• Take your jacket off.
• One of my buttons has come off.
• She's had all her hair cut off.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Taking things away from someone or somewhere ↑Removing and getting rid of things

• Two of his fingers were chopped off in the accident.
• I hope these bloodstains will clean off my shirt.
• Take your clothes off and get in the bath.
• He licked the chocolate off his fingers.
• The parcel had only been loosely wrapped, and the paper had come off.

NOT OPERATING

3. <E > (especially of machines, electrical devices, lights, etc.) not operating because not switched on
• Make sure the computers are all off before you go home.
• Turn/Switch the light/engine/television off.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Not functioning

• At the top of the hill I switched off the engine and we just coasted down the other side.
• Switch off the electric current before touching that machine.
• I can turn the television off if you find it a distraction.
• Please turn mobile phones off in the library.
• This sort of heater turns off at the mains.

LESS MONEY

4. <I > (of money) subtracted from the original price
• You can get some money off if you pay cash.
• There's 40% off this week on all winter coats.
• There was $40 or $50 off most jackets in the shop.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Value and price decreases

• This coupon allows you to claim 10% off all DVDs.
• I'll knock £20 off if you pay by cash.
• She asked for some money off because the book was slightly damaged.
• There's up to 50% off everything in our massive sale which starts next week.
• The card entitles you to 30% off all rail fares.

NOT AT WORK

5. <I > not at work; at home or on holiday
• I'm going to take/have some time off to work on my house.
• She was off sick last week.
• He's off at the moment - can I get him to ring you back?
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Time off work

• If you can get some time off work, we could finish the decorating.
• I need to get it finished before Friday because I'm off next week.
• He asked the boss if he could have some time off.
• How much time do you get off?
• She's been off since Monday with a cold.

SEPARATED

6. <I > in such a way as to be separated
• The police have shut/closed off all streets leading to the city.
• The area in the park where the kids play is fenced off for safety reasons.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Separating and dividing

• The pitch has been roped off to stop people from walking over it.
• They've cordoned off the whole area because of a suspected bomb.
• The scene of the crime has been closed off by the police.
• She marked off the amount of fabric she needed.
• An area of the factory has been sealed off while the asbestos is removed.

COMPLETELY

7. <A > in such a way as to be completely absent, especially because of having been used or killed
• It says on the bottle that it kills off all known germs.
• It'll take some time before she manages to pay off all her debts.
• The good thing about exercise is that it burns off calories.
• informal Between us we managed to finish off eight bottles of wine.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Unavailable and inaccessible ↑Present

• He could spar well enough but he couldn't seem to finish off his opponents.
• The decorating is as good as finished - I just need to finish off the painting.
• In a normal winter, the frost penetrates deeply enough to kill off insect eggs in the soil.
• Running is an excellent way to burn off excess calories.
• Things are back to normal now that we've paid off all our debts.

GET RID OF
8. in such a way as to get rid of something
• We went out for a while to walk off some of our dinner.
• He's gone to sleep off a headache after rather too much wine.
• There's no point in getting upset about such remarks - you've just got to laugh them off.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Removing and getting rid of things ↑Taking things away from someone or somewhere
Idioms: off on one ▪ off with something

preposition

AWAY FROM

1. <E > down or away from a place or position, especially the present place, position or time
• There was a 'Keep off the grass' sign.
• All the berries had dropped off the tree.
• He fell off his bike.
• We're still a long way off our target of £30,000.
• I hope she knows where to get off (= leave) the bus/train.
• How far off finishing the project are we (= How much more is there to do)?
• We've been working on the flat for six months now but we're still a long way off finishing.
• We're not far off (= We are quite near) London now.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Moving downwards ↑Falling and dropping ↑Spending time and time passing ↑Distant in space and time

• I've gone off seafood after I was sick the last time I had it.
• She's much better now, and she's off the medication.
• I'm going off Richard. He's so arrogant these days!
• It was enough to make anyone go off fast food.
• I went off meat after I saw that documentary.

REMOVED
2. <E > used with actions in which something is removed or removes itself from another thing
• I can't get the lid off this jar.
• Has anyone taken a book off my desk?
• Could you cut me a small piece off that big white cheese?
• Take your feet off that seat, young man!
• I don't like taking money off you (= asking you for money)!
• Get off me (= Stop touching me)!
• not standard I got the knife off of him before he ran away.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Removing and extracting

NOT LIKING
3. <A > not liking or taking something or someone
• He's been off his food ever since he had the stomach upset.
• I used to love wine but I've gone off it (= stopped liking it) recently.
• She's well enough to be off the medicine now.
• The doctor says he can come off the tablets.
• She's been off drugs for a year now.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Not liking

NEAR TO
4. near to
• He lives just off the main road.
• It's an island off the east coast of Spain.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Closeness in distance and time ↑About to happen

adjective

BAD

1. <A > after verb (of food and drink) no longer fresh or good to eat or drink because of being too old
• This milk smells off.
• I'd better eat this cheese before it goes off.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Not pleasant to eat or drink

• Do you think this meat is off?
• The milk has gone off because you left it out of the fridge.
• That bacon look off to me.
• The fruit will go off quickly if it's not stored at the right temperature.
• That cheesecake must have already been off when you bought it.

STOPPED

2. <A > after verb (of an arranged event) stopped or given up
• The wedding's off - she's decided she's too young to settle down.
• informal It's all off (= The relationship is finished) between Philippa and Mike.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Cancelling and interrupting

• The game's off, due to a waterlogged pitch.
• Lack of interest led to the event being called off.
• The search for survivors has been called off.
• Tomorrow's game has been called off because of the bad weather.
• The search was called off for the sailors who disappeared in the storm.

PROVIDED FOR
3. having a particular amount or number, especially of money
• UK How are you off for money (= Have you got enough/How much have you got)?
• Andrew must be so well-off (= rich) by now.
• I think they're fairly badly-off (= poor) now that David has lost his job.
• I'm quite well off for (= have a lot of) sweaters.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Wealthiness and wealthy

BELOW USUAL LEVEL
4. below the usual standard or rate
• I'm having an off day today - I just can't seem to do anything right!
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Quite good, or not very good ↑Suitable and acceptable

NO LONGER SERVED
5. after verb (of food in a restaurant) not available at that particular time
• I'm sorry, sir, the salmon is off.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Food - general words ↑Unavailable and inaccessible ↑Present

RUDE
6. after verb mainly UK informal not thinking or worrying about other people's feelings; rude
• He didn't even ring her up on her birthday - I thought that was a bit off.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Rude and cheeky ↑Relating to sex and sexual desire

noun only singular UK informal
the off
the act of leaving somewhere
• Are we ready for the off, then?
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Arrivals and departures

verb transitive US slang
to kill someone
• They offed him and dumped his body in the swamp.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Murder and attempted murder ↑Killing