1 B1 idiomatic informal
Used as a rude or impatient command telling someone to go away.
"She was trying to study and finally snapped, telling her little brother to bug off."
inseparable
bug off
B2 informal inseparable intransitive
To go away; used as a rude command to tell someone to leave (North American informal).
In plain English
Go away and stop bothering me.
What does "bug off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To leave or go away (used non-imperatively).
"Once the meeting got awkward, he bugged off as quickly as he could."
inseparable
Usage tip
Chiefly North American. Less vulgar than 'bugger off' but still rude. Often used as an imperative. The verb 'bug' here means to annoy or bother, and 'off' signals dismissal.
Words that pair with "bug off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
told just immediately please
How to conjugate "bug off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bug off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bugs off
he/she/it
Past simple
buged off
yesterday
Past participle
buged off
have + pp
-ing form
buging off
continuous
Hear "bug off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bug off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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