1 B2 neutral
For a horse or animal to violently unseat its rider by bucking.
"The rodeo bronco bucked off three riders before anyone could stay on for eight seconds."
separable
buck off
B2 neutral separable transitive
For a horse or other animal to throw a rider off its back by jumping and kicking violently.
In plain English
When a horse jumps and kicks so hard that the person riding it falls off.
What does "buck off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
Figuratively, to resist and reject something forcefully.
"The startup managed to buck off most of the investor pressure and stick to its original vision."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
For an animal to use bucking (a jumping-kicking motion) to throw something off its back.
Actually means
When a horse jumps and kicks so hard that the person riding it falls off.
Usage tip
Used in equestrian, rodeo, and farming contexts. Also used figuratively to mean to reject or shake off a person, idea, or responsibility.
Words that pair with "buck off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rider cowboy horse bronco saddle jockey
How to conjugate "buck off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
buck off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bucks off
he/she/it
Past simple
bucked off
yesterday
Past participle
bucked off
have + pp
-ing form
bucking off
continuous
Hear "buck off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "buck off"
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