marry off
B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words
Find someone a husband or wife — usually a parent doing this for their child.
Literal meaning: To marry someone 'off' — the particle 'off' suggests sending them away or disposing of the responsibility.
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
informal
To find a marriage partner for someone, especially a child, and arrange or push for the marriage to happen.
"Her parents were desperate to marry her off before she turned thirty."
"He had three daughters to marry off and a modest fortune to do it with."
— Paraphrase of a common narrative trope in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Often implies that the person being married off has limited say in the matter, or that the parent or guardian is eager to be rid of the responsibility. Can be used humorously or critically. Common in historical and cultural discussions of arranged marriages.
Commonly used with
daughter son child quickly well wealthy
Forms
Base
marry off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
marries off
he/she/it
Past simple
married off
yesterday
Past participle
married off
have + pp
-ing form
marrying off
continuous
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Synonyms
arrange a marriage for find a match for wed off get rid of by marriage
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