Give off meaning
Give off means to produce a smell, heat, light or gas. It can also mean to seem to have a quality others can feel.
give something off
give off · gave · given · giving
The fire gave off a lot of smoke.
Give off meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Produce a smell, heat, light or gas
give something off
- The fire gave off a lot of smoke.
- Flowers give off a sweet smell.
- The old heater gives off very little heat.
-
2
Seem to have a quality others can feel
give something off
- She gives off a calm, friendly feeling.
- He gave off an air of confidence.
- The shop gives off a warm, old-fashioned feel.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use give off in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is give off separable?
Give off is usually followed by what is produced: give off a smell. It is separable, so give a smell off is possible but rare. A pronoun goes in the middle: give it off.
Give off is used for things, plants and people. You can say a lamp gives off light, but a person gives off an impression, not an object.
Verb tenses for give off
| Present | I give off · she gives off |
|---|---|
| Past | gave off |
| Present perfect | have given off |
| -ing form | giving off |
Common mistakes with give off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The flowers give a smell off.
Right: The flowers give off a smell.
Keep give off together before the noun.
Wrong: The soup gives out a great smell.
Right: The soup gives off a great smell.
Give out means hand to people. For a smell, use give off.
Wrong: She gives off me a bad feeling.
Right: She gives me a bad feeling.
Give off does not take a person. Use give someone a feeling.
Synonyms and opposites of give off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- give outproduce, but give off is usual for smells and heat
- send outproduce light or signals
- emita formal word for give off
Opposite
- take inabsorb something into the body or a material
- soak upabsorb heat or liquid
Give off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The bin ___ a terrible smell in the heat.
Give off means produce a smell.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
Say give off + what is produced.
-
3“He gives off a calm feeling.” What does it mean?
Give off a feeling means seem to have that quality.
More phrasal verbs with give
All phrasal verbs with give, by level, with an exercise
6 phrasal verbs start with give. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Give off FAQ
Questions people ask about give off.
What does give off mean?
It means produce a smell, heat, light or a gas. It can also mean seem to have a certain quality, like confidence.
What is the difference between give off and give out?
Give off is for smells, heat and light. Give out is for handing things to people, or for things that stop working.
Is give off formal?
No, it is neutral. Emit is the formal word for science and technical writing.
Use give off in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.