1 B1 neutral
To count a group of people or things one by one, often by number or name.
"The teacher counted off the students as they boarded the coach."
separable
count off
B2 neutral separable transitive
To count items or people one by one, often while naming or listing them.
In plain English
To say numbers while going through a list of things or people.
What does "count off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To list items in a sequence, often to enumerate reasons, steps, or examples.
"She counted off three major reasons why the project had failed."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To count each thing and mark it off — fully transparent.
Actually means
To say numbers while going through a list of things or people.
Usage tip
Commonly used in military contexts (soldiers counting off) and in list-making. Also used when counting beats in music.
Words that pair with "count off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
names items steps soldiers reasons beats
How to conjugate "count off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
count off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
counts off
he/she/it
Past simple
counted off
yesterday
Past participle
counted off
have + pp
-ing form
counting off
continuous
Hear "count off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "count off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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