1 B1 idiomatic slang
To make someone very angry or irritated.
"It really pisses me off when people talk loudly on their phones in the library."
separable
piss off
B1 slang separable transitive/intransitive
To make someone very angry, or to tell someone rudely to leave.
In plain English
To really annoy someone, or to tell someone to go away in a rude way.
What does "piss off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic slang
Used as a rude imperative to tell someone to go away or stop bothering you.
"When he kept knocking on her door, she finally shouted, "Piss off and leave me alone!""
3 B2 slang
To leave or go away (intransitive, British English).
"He just pissed off without saying goodbye to anyone."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To urinate and leave — the 'off' implies departure.
Actually means
To really annoy someone, or to tell someone to go away in a rude way.
Usage tip
Has two main senses: (1) transitive — to annoy someone ('it really pisses me off'); (2) intransitive imperative — a rude dismissal ('piss off!'). Sense 1 is common in both British and American English. Sense 2 (imperative dismissal) is more typically British. Both are vulgar — avoid in formal contexts. The past participle 'pissed off' also functions as an adjective meaning angry.
Words that pair with "piss off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
really completely attitude behavior comment remark
How to conjugate "piss off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
piss off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pisses off
he/she/it
Past simple
pissed off
yesterday
Past participle
pissed off
have + pp
-ing form
pissing off
continuous
Hear "piss off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "piss off"
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