push off: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Medium-HighInformal (for 'leave' meaning); Neutral (for nautical meaning)
Quick answer
What does “push off” mean?
1. To leave or depart, often abruptly or impolitely.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
1. To leave or depart, often abruptly or impolitely. 2. To push against a surface in order to move a boat or similar object away from land.
Used as an imperative to tell someone to go away or leave, often conveying annoyance or dismissal. In nautical contexts, it describes the physical act of starting a journey by boat.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The imperative 'Push off!' (meaning 'Go away!') is somewhat more common in British English than American English, though understood in both. Americans might more frequently use 'Shove off' with the same meaning.
Connotations
In both varieties, as an imperative, it is rude, brusque, or dismissive. The nautical usage is standard and neutral in both.
Frequency
The dismissive use is informal and declining in frequency, sometimes perceived as dated or mild slang.
Grammar
How to Use “push off” in a Sentence
[Person] push off (from [Place])[Person 1] tell [Person 2] to push off[Person] push off in a [boat]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “push off” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- It's late, I think I'll push off home.
- 'Push off!' the old man grumbled from his doorway.
- We pushed off from Sheerness just after the tide turned.
American English
- He got tired of the arguing and decided to push off.
- 'Just push off, will you?' she said, turning her back.
- They pushed the canoe off from the muddy bank.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Highly informal and potentially offensive if used to dismiss a colleague.
Academic
Virtually non-existent, except in historical or literary analysis of dialogue.
Everyday
Used informally among friends or in situations of annoyance (e.g., 'Oh, push off, will you? I'm busy.').
Technical
Standard in nautical contexts (e.g., 'The crew pushed off from the pier at dawn.').
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “push off”
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Using 'push off' to mean 'postpone' (that's 'put off').
- Incorrectly using the continuous form for the imperative meaning (e.g., 'He was pushing off' sounds odd for 'leaving'; it's more literal).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal and dismissive, often expressing annoyance. It's ruder than 'Please leave' but often less aggressive than stronger swear words. Tone and context are key.
They are near synonyms in the 'go away' sense, with 'shove off' being slightly more common in American English. 'Shove off' can also sound marginally stronger or more dated.
The idiomatic meaning is inherently informal and not polite. For polite departure, use 'leave', 'head off', or 'get going'. The literal nautical use ('push off from the dock') is neutral and technical.
Not typically in its idiomatic meaning. You don't say 'push him off' to mean 'make him leave'. In its literal nautical sense, it can be separable: 'He pushed the boat off' / 'He pushed off the boat'.
1. To leave or depart, often abruptly or impolitely.
Push off is usually informal (for 'leave' meaning); neutral (for nautical meaning) in register.
Push off: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpʊʃ ˈɒf/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpʊʃ ˈɔːf/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Push off! (as a stand-alone imperative)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine someone annoying you on a riverbank. You give them a (metaphorical) PUSH, and they fall OFF the bank into the water and float away, leaving you alone.
Conceptual Metaphor
LEAVING IS A PHYSICAL FORCE (Pushing oneself away from a point of origin).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'push off' LEAST likely to be appropriate?