1 B1 neutral
To remove something by cutting it off in a rough or violent way.
"He hacked off the lower branches to clear the path through the forest."
separable
hack off
B2 informal separable transitive
To cut something off roughly; also (British informal) to annoy or irritate someone.
In plain English
To cut something off with a rough action, or (British) to make someone really annoyed.
What does "hack off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
(British informal) To annoy or irritate someone; to make someone feel fed up.
"It really hacks me off when people leave dirty dishes in the sink."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To hack (cut roughly) something so that it comes off.
Actually means
To cut something off with a rough action, or (British) to make someone really annoyed.
Usage tip
Has two distinct senses. The physical sense (rough cutting) is used in both British and American English. The 'annoy' sense is primarily British informal and is often used in the passive ('I'm hacked off').
Words that pair with "hack off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
branch limb person situation decision colleague
How to conjugate "hack off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hack off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hacks off
he/she/it
Past simple
hacked off
yesterday
Past participle
hacked off
have + pp
-ing form
hacking off
continuous
Hear "hack off" in the wild
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