take off
HighInformal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
To remove something (especially clothing); to leave the ground and begin flight (for aircraft); to become successful or popular suddenly.
To imitate someone humorously; to deduct or subtract (an amount); to take time away from work or other activities; to become excited or enthusiastic.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Highly polysemous phrasal verb. The meaning is heavily dependent on context and object. Can be transitive or intransitive. Often used figuratively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor differences in collocational preferences. 'Take off' meaning 'to leave suddenly' is slightly more informal in British English. The noun 'take-off' (hyphenated) for the act of an aircraft leaving the ground is standard in both, but the verb is written as two words.
Connotations
In business contexts, 'take off' (for a product) is equally positive in both varieties. The imitation meaning ('take off on someone') is more common in British English.
Frequency
All core meanings are high frequency in both varieties. The 'sudden success' meaning is extremely common in media and business reporting globally.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] take off[NP] take [NP] off[NP] take off [NP]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Take off like a rocket”
- “Ready for take-off”
- “Take the heat off”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a product, service, or company becoming suddenly successful or popular.
Academic
Used in economics (e.g., 'economic take-off'), physics (describing projectile motion), and literature (analysis of parody/imitation).
Everyday
Most common for removing clothing, aircraft departing, and describing sudden popularity.
Technical
Aviation: the phase of flight where an aircraft leaves the ground. Engineering: removing material or a component.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The flight will take off from Heathrow at 15:00.
- He can take off the Prime Minister perfectly.
- I need to take a few days off next month.
American English
- The plane took off from JFK on time.
- Her new YouTube channel really took off last week.
- Take off your boots before you come in.
adjective
British English
- The take-off performance was impressive.
- We analysed the take-off phase of the rocket.
American English
- The takeoff speed was calculated carefully.
- He did a hilarious takeoff of the president.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please take off your coat.
- The bird took off from the tree.
- The plane takes off at noon.
- I'm going to take Friday off work.
- His career as a singer took off after the TV show.
- Can you take off the lid for me?
- The new diet trend really took off on social media.
- The comedian is famous for taking off celebrities.
- The mechanic took off the old tyre and put on a new one.
- The economy failed to achieve a sustainable take-off despite massive investment.
- Her brilliant parody took off the mannerisms of the entire royal family.
- The regulator demanded the company take 10% off the advertised price.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a plane taking OFF its wheels from the ground, or a person taking OFF a heavy coat to feel free and light before success.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUCCESS IS UPWARD MOTION (career took off); REMOVAL IS LIBERATION (took off the burden); IMITATION IS COPYING A SURFACE (took off his accent).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'take off' meaning 'undress' and the Russian 'раздеваться' which is more general. 'Take off' for clothing is specific to items you remove.
- The success meaning ('business took off') is often mistranslated as 'поднялся' instead of the more idiomatic 'пошёл в гору' or 'стал популярным'.
- The imitation meaning ('he took off the teacher') has no direct single-word equivalent in Russian; requires paraphrase like 'передразнивать'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect particle order: 'Take off it' instead of 'Take it off'.
- Using it transitively without an object for the 'flight' meaning: 'The plane took off the runway' (incorrect) vs. 'The plane took off from the runway'.
- Confusing 'take off' (begin flight) with 'take out' (remove from a place).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'take off' mean 'to imitate humorously'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when used transitively (with an object), it is separable. You can say 'Take off your hat' or 'Take your hat off'. With pronouns, it must be separated: 'Take it off' (not 'Take off it').
'Take off' is more informal and often used for clothing, accessories, or parts attached with minimal effort. 'Remove' is more formal and general, used in technical, medical, or formal contexts (e.g., remove a stain, remove a policy).
Yes, but it's informal and implies a sudden or quick departure. E.g., 'He just took off without saying goodbye.' It is not used for scheduled departures like 'I will leave at 5'.
The noun is usually hyphenated: 'take-off' (UK) or 'takeoff' (US). It refers to the act of an aircraft leaving the ground ('a smooth take-off'), the beginning of a rapid increase ('the take-off of the tech industry'), or an imitation ('a brilliant takeoff of the mayor').