Off vs To - What's the difference?
off | to |
In a direction away from the speaker or object.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4
, passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or
Into a state of non-operation; into a state of non-existence.
Inoperative, disabled.
:All the lights are off .
Rancid, rotten.
:This milk is off !
(cricket) In, or towards the half of the field away from the batsman's legs; the right side for a right-handed batsman.
Less than normal, in temperament or in result.
:sales are off this quarter
Circumstanced (as in well off'', ''better off'', ''poorly off ).
*
Started on the way.
:off to see the wizard
:And they're off ! Whatsmyname takes an early lead, with Remember The Mane behind by a nose.
*
Far; off to the side.
:the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse
*
*:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
*1937 , (Zora Neale Hurston), Their Eyes Were Watching God , Harper Perennial (2000), p.151:
*:He came in, took a look and squinched down into a chair in an off corner and didn’t open his mouth.
Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from a post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent.
:He took an off''' day for fishing. an '''off''' year in politics; the '''off season
(Used to indicate movement away from a position on)
(colloquial) Out of the possession of.
Away from or not on.
Disconnected or subtracted from.
Distant from.
No longer wanting or taking.
(slang) To kill.
(Singapore) To switch off.
* 1711 , :
* , Scene 1:
* 2010 July, , headline [http://web.archive.org/web/20100705003703/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gfMucgz8wUGUNUNXRyIyqzY6lWwQD9GM98N83]:
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=April 10
, author=Alistair Magowan
, title=Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle
, work=BBC Sport
In the direction of, and arriving at.
* 2013 September 28, , "
(arithmetic)
* {{quote-news
, year=2012
, date=April 22
, author=Sam Sheringham
, title=Liverpool 0-1 West Brom
, work=BBC Sport
(arithmetic) .
(time) Preceding.
(Canada, UK, Newfoundland, West Midlands) at
Toward a closed, touching or engaging position.
* 1913 ,
(nautical) Into the wind.
As adverbs the difference between off and to
is that off is in a direction away from the speaker or object while to is toward a closed, touching or engaging position.As prepositions the difference between off and to
is that off is (used to indicate movement away from a position on) while to is in the direction of, and arriving at.As an adjective off
is inoperative, disabled.As a verb off
is (slang) to kill.off
English
Adverb
(en adverb)Usage notes
* Used in many , off'' is an adverbial particle often mistakenly thought of as a preposition. (It ''can be used as a preposition, but such usage is rare and usually informal; see below.)Synonyms
* away, outAntonyms
* on, inDerived terms
* back off * bite off * break off * bring off * call off * clean off * cut off, cutoff * die off * drop off * fall off * fuck off * get off * go off * goof off * hold off * keep off * kick off, kickoff * knock off * lay off, layoff * leave off * let off * light off * live off * make off * make off with * nod off * pay off, payoff * piss off * pull off * put off * ring off * rip off, ripoff * round off * run off, runoff * see off * set off * show off, showoff * sleep off * shake off * switch off * take off * tell off * tick off * turn off, turnoff * walk it off * wear offAdjective
(en adjective)Antonyms
* (inoperative) on * (rotten) fresh * (cricket) on, legDerived terms
* off to the racesPreposition
(English prepositions)- I took it off''' the table.''; ''Come '''off the roof!
- He didn't buy it off''' him. He stole it '''off him.
- He's off''' the computer, but he's still on the phone.''; ''Keep '''off the grass.
- We've been off''' the grid for three days now.''; ''He took 20% '''off the list price.
- We're just off''' the main road.''; ''The island is 23 miles ' off the cape.
- He's been off''' his feed since Tuesday.''; ''He's '''off his meds again.
- Tantalum bar 6 off 3/8" Dia × 12" — Atom, Great Britain Atomic Energy Authority, 1972
- samples submitted … 12 off Thermistors type 1K3A531 … — BSI test report for shock and vibration testing, 2000
- I'd like to re-order those printer cartridges, let's say 5-off .
Antonyms
*Derived terms
* off-campus * off one's feedVerb
(en verb)- He got in the way so I had him offed .
- Can you off the light?
Derived terms
* off-licence, off-license, offie, offyto
English
Alternative forms
* (dialectal) ter * (contraction) t' * (abbreviation)Particle
(en-part)- I want to leave.
- He asked me what to do.
- I don’t know how to say it.
- I have places to''' go and people '''to see.
- To' err is human, ' to forgive divine.
- To be, or not to be: that is the question: /
- Odds are, BP to get new CEO this year
citation, page= , passage=To' that end, the home supporters were in good voice ' to begin with, but it was Newcastle who started the game in the ascendancy, with Barton putting a diving header over the top from Jose Enrique's cross.}}
- "Did you visit the museum?" "I wanted to , but it was closed."
- If he hasn't read it yet, he ought to .
Derived terms
* going to / gonna * got to / gotta * have to / hafta * ought to / oughta * supposed to / supposta * used to / usta * want to / wanna * fixing to / finnaPreposition
(English prepositions)- We are walking to the shop.
London Is Special, but Not That Special," New York Times (retrieved 28 September 2013):
- Driven by a perceived political need to adopt a hard-line stance, Mr. Cameron’s coalition government has imposed myriad new restrictions, the aim of which is to reduce net migration to Britain to below 100,000.
- He devoted himself to education.
- They drank to his health.
- That is something to do.
- His face was beaten to a pulp.
- similar to''' ...'', ''relevant '''to''' ...'', ''pertinent '''to''' ...'', ''I was nice '''to''' him'', ''he was cruel '''to''' her'', ''I am used '''to walking.
- one to one = 1:1
- ten to one = 10:1.
citation, page= , passage=In total, the Reds had 28 shots to their opponent's nine, and 15 corners to the Baggies' three.}}
- Three squared or three to the second power is nine.
- Three to the power of two is nine.
- Three to the second is nine.
- I gave the book to him.
- ten to''' ten'' = 9:50; ''We're going to leave at ten '''to (the hour).
- Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y.
See also
* atAdverb
(-)- Please push the door to .
- He went in his room, pushed the door to , without fastening the latch.