1 B1 neutral
To produce and release a physical emission such as a smell, heat, light, or gas.
"The chemical reaction gave off a strong smell of sulfur."
separable
give off
B1 neutral separable transitive
To produce and release a smell, light, heat, radiation, or impression.
In plain English
To send out a smell, light, or feeling from something.
What does "give off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To project a particular impression, feeling, or atmosphere.
"He gives off a very calm and reassuring energy when he speaks."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To give something, sending it away from a source — largely transparent for physical emissions.
Actually means
To send out a smell, light, or feeling from something.
Usage tip
Very commonly used with smells, heat, light, gases, and radiation. Also widely used informally to describe the impression or 'vibe' someone or something gives: 'She gives off a confident vibe.' This informal 'vibe' usage is especially common in social media and younger speakers' language.
Words that pair with "give off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
smell heat light radiation vibe odor
How to conjugate "give off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
give off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gives off
he/she/it
Past simple
gave off
yesterday
Past participle
given off
have + pp
-ing form
giving off
continuous
Hear "give off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "give off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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