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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

"Take off all that armour / You can't carry all that weight," he sings over a delicate slide guitar.

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

Take off into the looming darkness, relying primarily on the plane’s instruments, or play it safe and wait until the morning?

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2024

Take off the heat and stir in butter and vanilla, then add powdered sugar.

From Salon • Feb. 29, 2024

Take off any tight jewelry or clothing that might restrict blood flow as an extremity begins to swell.

From National Geographic • Jul. 25, 2023

"Take off your boots and dry your stockings. I'll find some dry wood. If the ground's not wet under the rock, we might be able to get a fire burning."

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

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