Is 'stave off' formal or informal?

It's neutral to slightly formal; common in news, business, and academic contexts

Can 'stave off' be used for positive outcomes?

No, it's only used for preventing negative or undesirable situations

What's the difference between 'stave off' and 'prevent'?

'Stave off' often implies temporary delay with effort, while 'prevent' can be more permanent

Is the past tense 'stove off' or 'staved off'?

The correct past tense is 'staved off' (both UK and US)

How do you pronounce “stave off”?

Stave off: in British English it is pronounced /steɪv ɒf/, and in American English it is pronounced /steɪv ɔːf/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

stave off: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

UK/steɪv ɒf/US/steɪv ɔːf/

formal to neutral

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “stave off” mean?

to prevent something bad from happening, especially temporarily.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

to prevent something bad from happening, especially temporarily; to keep something at bay

To delay or avert an undesirable event or situation through effort or action; to fend off something threatening

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning or usage; both varieties use the phrasal verb identically

Connotations

Slightly formal in both varieties; more common in written than spoken English

Frequency

Equally common in both British and American English

Grammar

How to Use “stave off” in a Sentence

stave off + noun (threat/danger)stave off + noun phrasetry/manage to stave off

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

stave off disasterstave off bankruptcystave off hungerstave off infection

medium

stave off crisisstave off recessionstave off attackstave off illness

weak

stave off boredomstave off fatiguestave off competitionstave off pressure

Examples

Examples of “stave off” in a Sentence

verb

British English

The government took measures to stave off an economic crisis
She drank herbal tea to stave off the cold

American English

The company restructured to stave off bankruptcy
He ate protein bars to stave off hunger during the hike

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Companies take measures to stave off financial collapse during economic downturns

Academic

Researchers study interventions to stave off cognitive decline in aging populations

Everyday

I ate a snack to stave off hunger until dinner

Technical

Vaccinations help stave off infectious diseases in populations

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “stave off”

Strong

forestall ward offfend off

Neutral

prevent avert avoid

Weak

delay postpone put off

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “stave off”

invite provoke cause bring about

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “stave off”

Using 'stave of' instead of 'stave off'
Confusing with 'stay off' (to avoid)
Using with positive outcomes (incorrect: 'stave off success')

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: It's neutral to slightly formal; common in news, business, and academic contexts
: No, it's only used for preventing negative or undesirable situations
: 'Stave off' often implies temporary delay with effort, while 'prevent' can be more permanent
: The correct past tense is 'staved off' (both UK and US)
: to prevent something bad from happening, especially temporarily.
: Stave off: in British English it is pronounced /steɪv ɒf/, and in American English it is pronounced /steɪv ɔːf/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“stave off the evil hour/day (to delay something unpleasant)”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a knight using a STAFF to WAVE OFF attacking enemies - 'stave off' means to keep something away

Conceptual Metaphor

DEFENSE AGAINST THREAT (as in physically holding something at bay)

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The company sold assets to bankruptcy for another quarter.

Multiple Choice

Which situation best illustrates 'stave off'?