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rinse off

A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive

To remove dirt, soap, or another substance from the surface of something using water.

In plain English

To use water to wash away something from the outside of an object or your body.

What does "rinse off" mean?

2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.

1 A2 neutral

To remove dirt or a substance from the surface of something by washing with water.

"Rinse off the strawberries before you eat them."

separable
2 A2 informal

To quickly wash yourself or part of your body with water.

"I'll just rinse off in the shower and then we can go."

inseparable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To rinse something off its surface — the substance comes off.

Actually means

To use water to wash away something from the outside of an object or your body.

Usage tip

Very common in everyday speech. Can be used with or without an object: 'rinse off the mud' or 'just rinse off' (i.e., rinse yourself). Often the final step after washing with soap.

Words that pair with "rinse off"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

mud soap shampoo vegetables dishes sand

How to conjugate "rinse off"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
rinse off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rinses off
he/she/it
Past simple
rinsed off
yesterday
Past participle
rinsed off
have + pp
-ing form
rinsing off
continuous

Hear "rinse off" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "rinse off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Keep exploring

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