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Meaning & use

something is off

phrase·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌsʌmθɪŋ ɪz ˈɒf/
US/ˌsʌmθɪŋ ɪz ˈɔːf/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Used when you sense that a situation, person or thing is not quite right, even if you cannot say exactly what the problem is.

    Grammar: 'Something' is the subject; the verb can change tense: something was off, something seems off.

    Patterns

    • something is off about someone
    • something is off with something

    I can't explain it, but something is off about the way he keeps changing the subject.

    When the shop was empty at noon on a Saturday, I felt that something was off.

    Something is off with this soup; it tastes too sweet.

  2. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Used when food or drink seems to have gone bad, or a machine is not working as it should.

    Grammar: Here 'off' means spoiled or faulty: the milk is off, the engine sounds off.

    Patterns

    • something smells off
    • something sounds off

    Throw that yogurt away; something is off, because it smells sour.

    The car hums normally, but today something is off in the engine.

    Something was off with the printer, so every page came out streaked.

Common combinations

feel that something is off
She felt that something was off as soon as she walked into the meeting.
something is definitely off
Something is definitely off with the numbers in this report.
something seems off
Something seems off in the way the team talks to each other.
something is slightly off
The photo looks fine, but something is slightly off about the colours.
sense that something is off
Dogs often sense that something is off before their owners do.

Synonyms and how they differ

something is wrong
It is more direct and says there is a definite problem, whereas 'something is off' suggests a vague unease.
something is amiss
It is more formal and slightly literary, and is rarely used for spoiled food.
something is fishy
It suggests dishonesty or suspicion, while 'something is off' can be just a feeling of oddness.

Opposites

everything is fine

Word family

off adjective
not right, or no longer fresh
offness noun
an informal word for a slightly wrong quality

Commonly confused: something is off or something is of?

something is off vs something is of

This is a mistake; the adjective is 'off' with two f's, and 'of' is a preposition.

Practice

Everything on the surface looked normal, but I felt that something was ___ about the whole deal.

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