English dictionary: words starting with off

adverb

Away from the place in question; to or at a distance.

Usage examples:

The man ran off

preposition

Moving away and often down from.

Usage examples:

He rolled off the bed

adjective

Characterized by performing or feeling worse than usual; unsatisfactory or inadequate.

Usage examples:

Even the greatest athletes have off days

noun

The half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.

Usage examples:

Headland bats with real style and is deadly square of the wicket on the off side.

verb

Leave.

Usage examples:

Supposedly loyal workers suddenly upped and offed to the new firms

abbreviation

Office.

idiom

Not regularly

phrase

Intermittently; now and then.

Usage examples:

I've studied different kinds of dance off and on since i was 10

adjective

Happening or existing only some of the time

Usage examples:

He worked off and on as a bicycle messenger, but he never found permanent work.

phrase

Mad.

Usage examples:

He looked so strange she thought he was off his rocker

phrase

In or into an isolated place.

Usage examples:

We tried to find locations slightly off the beaten track

idiom

Not known or popular with many people

Usage examples:

We wanted to find a camping site that was a little bit off the beaten path.

phrase

Remote from populous or much-traveled regions

idiom

In a place where few people go, far from any main roads and towns

Usage examples:

The farmhouse we stayed in was completely off the beaten track.

idiom

With little or no preparation or forethought

phrase

Without preparation.

Usage examples:

They posed some difficult questions to answer off the cuff

phrase

Without preparation

Usage examples:

They posed some difficult questions to answer off the cuff

idiom

If you speak off the cuff, you say something without having prepared or thought about your words first

Usage examples:

I hadn't prepared a speech so i just said a few words off the cuff., [ before noun ] an off-the-cuf…

phrase

No longer in difficulty or trouble.

Usage examples:

I lied to get him off the hook

adjective

Not made especially to fit a particular person or suit a situation

Usage examples:

There are plenty of off-the-peg solutions that have been tried and tested elsewhere., i bought the …

idiom

To destroy completely

Usage examples:

There are bombs so powerful that whole nations could be wiped off the map by them.

idiom

If something someone says or writes is off the mark, it is not correct

Usage examples:

His criticisms are way off the mark., bedini and curzi were probably not far off the mark in their …

adjective

Not made especially to fit a particular person or suit a situation

Usage examples:

There are plenty of off-the-peg solutions that have been tried and tested elsewhere., i bought the …

adjective

→  off-the-peg

idiom

To start behaving in a way that is not generally acceptable, especially dishonestly or illegally

Usage examples:

He went off the rails in his first year at university.

adjective

Said without the intention of being published or officially noted

Usage examples:

An aide told reporters, off the record, that the senator had been lying., my off-the-record remarks…

adjective

Used to describe a product that is available immediately and does not need to be specially made to suit a particular purpose

Usage examples:

You can purchase off-the-shelf software or have it customized to suit your needs., if you have comp…

phrase

Eccentric or unconventional.

Usage examples:

A zany, wacky, off-the-wall weirdo

adjective

Strange or very different, often intentionally

Usage examples:

Teenagers love his off-the-wall comedy.

phrasal verb

To explode, or to fire bullets

Usage examples:

The deer ran away just before the hunter’s gun went off., what do they do if the metal detector goe…

idiom

Surprised or confused, so that it is difficult to behave or react as you usually would

Usage examples:

He walked up and said i was fat, which really threw me off balance (= made me feel confused)., her …

adjective

Wrong

Usage examples:

You're (way) off beam there.

adjective

Situated or performed outside broadway, the street in new york where most theatres are

Usage examples:

An off-broadway hit/show/production, the play debuted off-broadway.

adjective

Nearly, but not quite, in a central position

adjective

(of remarks, jokes, etc.) rude or offensive to some people

adjective

Slightly ill

Usage examples:

I'm feeling a bit off-colour today.

noun

The particular path something such as an aircraft or ship takes as it moves, or the path along which a river flows

Usage examples:

A southern course will take our flight over texas., the ship was blown off course (= away from its …

adjective

When police officers, doctors, guards, etc. are off-duty, they are not working

Usage examples:

He looks completely different when he's off-duty and in his normal clothes.