offing

[ aw-fing, of-ing ]
See synonyms for: offingoffings on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the more distant part of the sea seen from the shore, beyond the anchoring ground.

  2. a position at a distance from shore.

Idioms about offing

  1. in the offing,

    • at a distance but within sight.

    • in the projected future; likely to happen: A wedding is in the offing.

Origin of offing

1
First recorded in 1620–30; off + -ing1

Words Nearby offing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use offing in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for offing

offing

/ (ˈɒfɪŋ) /


noun
  1. the part of the sea that can be seen from the shore

  2. in the offing likely to occur soon

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with offing

offing

see in the offing.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.