1 B1 neutral
To have a period of time free from work, school, or duties.
"I've got a lot of holiday left, so I'm planning to have next Friday off."
separable
have off
B1 neutral separable transitive
To be granted a period of time away from work or school; to have a tooth or body part removed.
In plain English
To get a day or time away from work, or to have something taken out of your body.
What does "have off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
(British, medical) To have a part of the body surgically removed.
"He had two of his toes off after complications from the accident."
separable
Usage tip
The 'free time' sense is mainly British English. 'Have a day off' and 'have a week off' are very common patterns. The medical sense (having a body part removed) overlaps with 'have out' but is somewhat less common in that usage.
Words that pair with "have off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
day week afternoon time tooth appendix
How to conjugate "have off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
have off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
has off
he/she/it
Past simple
had off
yesterday
Past participle
had off
have + pp
-ing form
having off
continuous
Hear "have off" in the wild
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