Get Off Definition & Meaning

British

Idioms

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms get off British

verb

1. (intr, adverb) to escape the consequences of an action

   he got off very lightly in the accident

2. (adverb) to be or cause to be acquitted

   a good lawyer got him off

3. (adverb) to depart or cause to depart

   to get the children off to school

4. (intr) to descend (from a bus, train, etc); dismount

   she got off at the terminus

5. to move or cause to move to a distance (from)

   get off the field

6. (tr, adverb) to remove; take off

   get your coat off

7. (adverb) to go or send to sleep

8. (adverb) to send (letters) or (of letters) to be sent

9. slang (intr, adverb) to become high on or as on heroin or some other drug

10. informal to establish an amorous or sexual relationship with

11. informal to rebuke or criticize someone harshly

"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 get off Idioms

1. Dismount, leave a vehicle, as in She got off the horse right away , or Let's get off the train at the next stop . [Late 1600s]

2. Start, as on a trip; leave. For example, We got off at the crack of dawn . [Mid-1700s]

3. Fire a round of ammunition; also, send away. For example, He got off two shots, but the deer fled , or I got off that letter just in time .

4. Escape from punishment; also, obtain a lesser penalty or release for someone. For example, He apologized so profusely that he was sure to get off , or The attorney got her client off with a slap on the wrist . This sense is sometimes amplified to get off easy or get off lightly . Where there is no punishment at all, the expression is sometimes put as get off scot-free , originally meaning “be free from paying a fine or tax ( scot ),” dating from the 1500s. [Mid-1600s]

5. Remove, take off, as in I can't seem to get this paint off the car . [Second half of 1600s]

6. Succeed in uttering, especially a joke. For example, Carl always manages to get off a good one before he gets serious . [Mid-1800s]

7. Have the effrontery to do or say something. For example, Where does he get off telling me what to do? [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]

8. Experience orgasm, as in She never did get off . [ Slang ; first half of 1900s]

9. Also, get off of one . Stop bothering or criticizing one, as in Get off me right now! or If you don't get off of me I'm walking out . [ Slang ; c. 1940] Also see get off on ; off one's back .

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He pushed the pedals with his feet, rode the tricycle into a bush, got off, and left it there, mashing the rhododendron.

From Literature

“I want no help! I need no help! Now get off my ship!” the captain shouted.

From Literature

Yet the person who sent the note was getting off with only a warning.

From Literature

With ordinary Japanese, especially younger ones, Takaichi has got off to a flier, becoming something of a fashion icon and a hit on social media.

From Barron's

"I got off to a nice start at the American Express," he said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• alight
• blow
• disembark
• escape
• exit
• pull out
• quit

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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