# go off

Pronunciation: US say "goh-AWF" /ˌɡoʊ ˈɔf/; UK say "goh-OF" /ˌɡəʊ ˈɒf/; AUS

## Phrasal verb

1. To explode, as a bomb, firework, or other charge does.
   - Simple: To blow up, like a bomb or fireworks.
   - _A car bomb went off outside the embassy, shattering windows along the street._
   - _Police cleared the station in case a second device was set to go off._
2. To start ringing, clanging, or making some other noise, as an alarm or bell does.
   - Simple: To start ringing or making a loud noise, like an alarm.
   - _A car alarm went off in the parking lot and wailed for twenty minutes._
   - _Phones started going off all over the theater when the emergency alert came through._
3. To erupt emotionally; to become suddenly very angry or overexcited.
   - Simple: To suddenly get very angry or very excited.
   - _When the referee waved off the goal, the coach went off and had to be held back by his players._
   - _The fans go off every time the home team scores in the last minute._
4. Of a gun, to fire, especially accidentally.
   - Simple: For a gun, to fire, especially by mistake.
   - _The pistol went off as it hit the floor, sending a bullet into the wall._
   - _The runners crouched and waited for the starting gun to go off._
5. Of a device or system, to stop running or be switched off.
   - Simple: To stop working or turn off.
   - _Every streetlight on the block went off at once, leaving us in the dark._
   - _The air conditioning will go off automatically when the room reaches the set temperature._
6. To take place or be carried out.
   - Simple: To happen or take place.
   - _Despite the rain, the parade went off exactly as planned._
   - _Organizers hoped the handover would go off peacefully, and it did._
7. To rant or talk at length in a negative way, or to insult or criticize someone. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To complain or talk angrily for a long time, or to say mean things about someone.
   - _Ask her about the new parking rules and she'll go off about them all evening._
   - _The coach went off on the referees in the post-game interview._
8. To judge by something, or to draw conclusions from it.
   - Simple: To judge or guess something from what you know or have seen.
   - _Going off last year's numbers, we should sell out of tickets by Friday._
   - _With no witnesses, the detectives had to go off a single blurry photo._
9. To leave or go away.
   - Simple: To leave a place or go away.
   - _He went off in a hurry, leaving his coffee on the table._
   - _Her husband had gone off with a coworker and never come back._
10. To rot or become unfit to eat, or to become unusable in any other way. *(Australia, Canada, UK)*
   - Simple: To go bad and stop being good to eat, or to stop being usable.
   - _Fresh fish will go off within a day or two in this heat._
   - _Check the date on last summer's sunscreen, because it may have gone off._
11. To perform brilliantly or look impressive, often used as an exclamation urging someone on.
   - Simple: To do something really well or look great, often said to cheer someone on.
   - _Want to wear head-to-toe sequins to brunch? Go off._
   - _The whole cast went off in the finale, and the audience was on its feet before the last note._
12. To come to like someone or something less over time.
   - Simple: To slowly stop liking someone or something.
   - _Voters slowly went off the idea as the costs kept rising._
   - _I don't know why, but I seem to go off every show after the second season._
13. To lose consciousness, fall asleep, or die. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To pass out, fall asleep, or die.
   - _The anesthetist told me to count backward from ten, and I went off before I reached seven._
   - _When I go off, I want a party, not a funeral._
14. To fight or launch an attack. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To start fighting or attacking.
   - _Things went off outside the club, and three people were arrested._
   - _Rival fans were ready to go off the moment the gates opened._
15. To ejaculate or have an orgasm. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To have an orgasm or let out semen.
   - _He apologized for going off too soon._
   - _They were both close, and she went off first._
16. Of epoxy resin, to cure or set. *(UK)*
   - Simple: For epoxy, to harden and set.
   - _Once the resin has gone off, you can sand the joint smooth._
   - _In a cold garage the epoxy can take all night to go off._

## Noun · go-off

Pronunciation: US say "GOH-awf" /ˈɡoʊ ˌɔf/; UK say "GOH-of" /ˈɡəʊ ˌɒf/

17. The start or beginning of something.
   - Simple: The start of something.

## Phrasal verb

18. To be spent, paid out, or used up. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To be spent or used up.
   - _Every penny of the prize money went off within a year._
   - _Their savings will soon go off if the roof needs another repair._
19. Of a woman, to get married. *(archaic, UK)*
   - Simple: For a woman, to get married.
   - _Her aunts whispered that she would never go off if she kept turning down every suitor._
   - _Of the five sisters, the youngest went off first, and the wedding was the talk of the village that spring._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/go-off (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).