AAAmerican Accent US

go off

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: go OFF. Saying “GO off” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

A glide appears. Two vowels meet, so American English slips a /w/ between them: “go off” → “go-woff”. You do not insert it deliberately — it falls out of not stopping between the words.

3 meanings

  1. 1

    (Of an alarm) to start sounding.

    • “My alarm went off at six and I ignored it.”
    • “The smoke detector goes off every time I make toast.”

    Similar: sound

  2. 2

    (Of a bomb) to explode.

    • “The device went off in an empty street.”

    Similar: detonate, explode

  3. 3

    (Of food) to become spoiled.

    • “The milk has gone off — don't use it.”

    Similar: spoil, turn

The particle logic

off

Contact is broken: something detaches, leaves, or stops.

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More GO phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

go ahead

To proceed, or to give permission to proceed.

go on

To continue.

go out

To leave home for a social activity.

go over

To review or examine something carefully.

go through

To experience something difficult.

go back

To return to a place or a previous state.

go along with

To agree to a plan or accept an opinion.

go down

To decrease.

go up

To increase.

go for

To choose or decide on something.

go after

To pursue something or someone you want.

go by

(Of time) to pass.

go off — meaning, examples & how to say it