Go off meaning
Go off means to start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb. It can also mean to leave a place to go somewhere else.
go off
go off · went · gone · going
My alarm went off at six.
Go off meanings and examples
5 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb
go off
- My alarm went off at six.
- The fire alarm went off in the middle of the class.
- A car alarm kept going off all night.
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2
Leave a place to go somewhere else
go off
- He went off without saying goodbye.
- She’s gone off to the shops.
- Don’t go off on your own in the forest.
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3
Become bad and not safe to eat or drink
go off
- This milk has gone off.
- Eat the fish today or it’ll go off.
- Does yogurt go off if you don’t keep it cold?
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4
Stop working, for a light or a machine
go off
- The lights went off in the whole street.
- The heating goes off at ten.
- Suddenly the music went off.
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5
Stop liking someone or something
go off somebody or something
- I’ve gone off coffee lately.
- She went off him after their first date.
- Why did you go off the idea?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use go 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 go off separable?
Go off has no object in most meanings: My alarm went off. When it means stop liking, the thing comes straight after it: I’ve gone off coffee. It is never separable.
Lights can go off or go out. Fires and candles go out. Alarms and bombs go off.
Verb tenses for go off
| Present | I go off · she goes off |
|---|---|
| Past | went off |
| Present perfect | have gone off |
| -ing form | going off |
Common mistakes with go off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: My alarm rang off at six.
Right: My alarm went off at six.
Say go off for alarms.
Wrong: Don’t drink that. The milk is gone off.
Right: Don’t drink that. The milk has gone off.
Use has gone off.
Wrong: The alarm went on at seven and woke me.
Right: The alarm went off at seven and woke me.
An alarm goes off when it starts ringing.
Synonyms and opposites of go off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- ringmake a bell sound, for an alarm or a phone
- go badbecome not safe to eat
- explodethe formal word for a bomb going off
Opposite
- go onstart working, for lights and machines
- stay freshremain good to eat
Go off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1I woke up when my alarm ___ at six.
An alarm goes off when it rings.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Food that is bad has gone off.
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3Ella says, “I’ve gone off pizza.” What does she mean?
Go off something means stop liking it.
More phrasal verbs with go
All phrasal verbs with go, by level, with an exercise
16 phrasal verbs start with go. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- go outA1leave your home to do something fun
- go backA1return to a place where you were before
- go inA2enter a room or a building
- go intoA2enter a place
- go onB1continue, or last for a period of time
- go awayB1leave a person or a place
- go downB1become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
- go upB1become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature
- go forB1choose something
- go withB1look or taste good together with something
- go throughB2live through a difficult or unpleasant time
- go overB2check something carefully, looking for mistakes
- go aroundB2be enough for everyone in a group to have some
- go aheadB2start or continue doing something you planned
- go afterB2follow or chase someone to catch them or talk to them
Go off FAQ
Questions people ask about go off.
What does go off on someone mean?
In informal US English, it means suddenly shout at someone angrily: My boss went off on me for being late.
What does the party went off well mean?
Here go off means happen in a certain way: The wedding went off without a problem.
Is go off British?
Go off for food and for stopping liking something is mainly British. The alarm meaning is used everywhere.
Use go 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.