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

One said he "had to go off to the shops during my lunchtime" because there was no food available, while another girl said the issues had been affecting her concentration in class.

From BBC

“The most frequent calls we had last night due to the power outages was people stuck in elevators and fire alarms going off,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

After four days of searing heat and sunshine, the lights were on with dark clouds looming and after 40 minutes the players went off as fine rain returned.

From Barron's

The feature that annoys me the most is the “check the back seat” alarm that goes off whenever I exit the car, having placed anything in the back, or simply having opened the back door.

From The Wall Street Journal

And if their debut show at DiPiazza’s in Long Beach back in November was anything to go off of, it’ll be a good time for fans too.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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