go off

British  

verb

1. (adverb) (of power, a water supply, etc) to cease to be available, running, or functioning

   the lights suddenly went off

2. (adverb) to be discharged or activated; explode

3. (adverb) to occur as specified

   the meeting went off well

4. to leave (a place)

   the actors went off stage

5. (adverb) (of a sensation) to gradually cease to be felt or perceived

6. (adverb) to fall asleep

7. (adverb) to enter a specified state or condition

   she went off into hysterics

8. to abscond (with)

9. (adverb) (of concrete, mortar, etc) to harden

10. informal (adverb) (of food, milk, etc) to become stale or rotten

11. informal (preposition) to cease to like

    she went off him after their marriage

12. informal (adverb) to become bad-tempered

13. slang (adverb) to have an orgasm

14. slang (adverb) (of premises) to be raided by the police

15. slang (adverb) (of a racehorse) to win a fixed race

16. slang (adverb) to be stolen

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go off Idioms  

1. Explode, detonate; also, make noise, sound, especially abruptly. For example, I heard the gun go off , or The sirens went off at noon . This expression developed in the late 1500s and gave rise about 1700 to the related go off half-cocked , now meaning “to act prematurely” but originally referring to the slipping of a gun's hammer so that the gun fires (goes off) unexpectedly.

2. Leave, depart, especially suddenly, as in Don't go off mad , or They went off without saying goodbye . [c. 1600]

3. Keep to the expected plan or course of events, succeed, as in The project went off smoothly . [Second half of 1700s]

4. Deteriorate in quality, as in This milk seems to have gone off . [Late 1600s]

5. Die. Shakespeare used this sense in Macbeth (5:9): “I would the friends we missed were safely arrived.—Some must go off.”

6. Experience orgasm. D.H. Lawrence used this slangy sense in Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928): “You couldn't go off at the same time....” This usage is probably rare today. Also see get off , def. 8.

7. go off on a tangent . See under on a tangent .

8. go off one's head . See off one's head . Also see subsequent idioms beginning with go off .

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Example Sentences

“It helps develop souls to be fully fledged human beings who feel like they can go off into the world and be the best versions of themselves,” Groban says.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

My daughter won’t go off to college in the fall without the proper documents.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

But there’s nothing like listening to your tiny baby screaming on the other side of the door while waiting for a timer to go off so you can go comfort them.

From Slate • May 3, 2026

Brent crude for June delivery falls 3.4% to go off the board at $114.01 a barrel, bringing it closer to the $110.40 for the July contract.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

“Right now, I actually look forward to the day you go off to grad school.”

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• blow
• blow up
• burst
• detonate
• happen
• occur
• take place