1 A2 neutral
To leave a bus, train, plane, or other public transport.
"We get off at the next stop."
get off
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To leave a vehicle, to avoid punishment, to stop touching something, or to send a message.
In plain English
To step off a vehicle, to not be punished, or to stop touching something.
What does "get off" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To escape punishment or avoid a serious consequence.
"He was accused of fraud but got off because of insufficient evidence."
“
He got off scot-free.
— Common English idiom widely used in journalism; 'scot-free' is a traditional expression meaning without penalty
3 A2 informal
To stop touching or being on top of something; also used as an exclamation to tell someone to stop touching you.
"Get off my bag — I didn't say you could touch it!"
4 B1 neutral
To send a letter, email, or message.
"I need to get this email off before the office closes."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move off the surface of something — the physical sense underlies all uses.
Actually means
To step off a vehicle, to not be punished, or to stop touching something.
Usage tip
Use 'get off' for buses, trains, planes, and bikes. Use 'get out of' for cars and taxis. 'Get off!' as an exclamation tells someone to stop touching you. In slang, 'get off on' means to be excited by something.
Words that pair with "get off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bus train phone work charge lightly
How to conjugate "get off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
get off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gets off
he/she/it
Past simple
got off
yesterday
Past participle
got/gotten off
have + pp
-ing form
getting off
continuous
Hear "get off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "get off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "get off"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
avoid punishment disembark escape exit leave stop
Keep exploring
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