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Switch off meaning

Switch off means to make a light or machine stop working by pressing a button. It can also mean to stop paying attention, or stop thinking about work and relax.

Check yourself: 3 questions

switch something off

switch off · switched · switching

B1Separable+1 more meaning

Please switch off your phones during the film.

Switch off meanings and examples

2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.

  1. 1make a light or machine stop working by pressing a button
  2. 2stop paying attention, or stop thinking about work and relax
  1. 1

    Make a light or machine stop working by pressing a button

    switch something off

    B1Separable

    • Please switch off your phones during the film.
    • Did you switch the oven off before we left?
    • The TV is too loud. Switch it off.
  2. 2

    Stop paying attention, or stop thinking about work and relax

    switch off

    B1No object

    • When he talks about football, I just switch off.
    • I find it hard to switch off after work.
    • Do you ever switch off on holiday?
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Is switch off separable?

When switch off means stop a machine, it is separable: switch off the TV, switch the TV off, switch it off.

When switch off means stop listening or relax, it has no object: I switched off. To relax after work is often said as switch off from work.

Verb tenses for switch off

PresentI switch off · she switches off
Pastswitched off
Present perfecthave switched off
-ing formswitching off

Common mistakes with switch off

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: The baby is sleeping. Switch off it, please.

    Right: The baby is sleeping. Switch it off, please.

    A pronoun goes between switch and off.

  • Wrong: Can you close the light?

    Right: Can you switch off the light?

    You switch off or turn off a light. You do not close it.

  • Wrong: I can’t switch off my work at weekends.

    Right: I can’t switch off from work at weekends.

    When you mean relax, use switch off from.

Synonyms and opposites of switch off

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

Switch off quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1Please ___ the lights when you leave the room.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3Your friend says, “The lecture was so boring that I switched off.” What happened?

More phrasal verbs with switch

2 phrasal verbs start with switch. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on switchTake the full test

Switch off FAQ

Questions people ask about switch off.

Switch off vs turn off: what is the difference?

For lights and machines they mean the same. Turn off is used for taps and gas too. Switch off is more British.

What does switch off from work mean?

It means stop thinking about work so you can relax. A long walk helps me switch off from work.

Switch off vs shut down: what is the difference?

Switch off is for lights and most machines. Shut down is for computers and big systems, and means turn off in the proper way.

Use switch 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.

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