take off

British  

verb

1. (tr) to remove or discard (a garment)

2. (intr) (of an aircraft) to become airborne

3. informal to set out or cause to set out on a journey

   they took off for Spain

4. (tr) (of a disease) to prove fatal to; kill

5. informal (tr) to mimic or imitate, esp in an amusing or satirical manner

6. informal (intr) to become successful or popular, esp suddenly

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noun

1. the act or process of making an aircraft airborne

2. the stage of a country's economic development when rapid and sustained economic growth is first achieved

3. informal an act of mimicry; imitation

take off Idioms  

1. Remove, as in Take off your coat and stay for a while , or I took my foot off the brake . [c. 1300]

2. Deduct, decrease, as in He took 20 percent off the original price , or I want you to trim my hair, but please don't take off too much . [c. 1700]

3. Carry or take away, as in The passengers were taken off one by one . [Late 1800s]

4. Also, take oneself off . Leave, go away, as in I'm taking off now , or We take ourselves off for China next month , or, as an imperative, Take yourself off right now! [First half of 1800s]

5. Move forward quickly, as in The dog took off after the car .

6. Become well known or popular, or achieve sudden growth, as in That actor's career has really taken off , or Sales took off around the holidays . [Mid-1900s]

7. Rise in flight, as in The airplane took off on time . [Mid-1800s]

8. Discontinue, as in The railroad took off the commuter special . [Mid-1700s]

9. Imitate humorously or satirically, as in He had a way of taking off the governor that made us howl with laughter . [Mid-1700s]

10. Withhold service, as in I'm taking off from work today because of the funeral . [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

take off

"It sounds very loud, like an airplane is going to take off," she told AFP as her three-year-old son played.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Lake Como is 29 miles long and 2.5 miles wide in some parts - you also come across a yacht club and an 'Aero Club' for the sea-planes that take off at regular intervals.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

My cars didn’t run any red lights, collide with another car or take off with my suitcase still in the trunk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

So-called equity-derivative income ETFs have seen their popularity take off these past few years, becoming a popular niche in the rapidly growing world of actively managed ETFs.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

“I’m just making sure you don’t lull me into a false sense of security and then say ‘race ya’ and take off.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Random Word

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Related Words

• blast off
• blow
• depart
• disappear
• get off
• get out
• go
• pull out
• soar
• withdraw

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