1 B2 neutral
(Intransitive) To fall away from a surface in small, flat pieces or flakes.
"After years of rain and sun, the paint began to scale off the old wooden fence."
inseparable
scale off
B2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To fall away in flakes or scales, or to remove something in flaky pieces.
In plain English
When small hard pieces break off from a surface and fall away, like old paint or dry skin.
What does "scale off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
(Transitive) To remove something by scraping or chipping it away in flakes.
"The plumber scaled off the mineral deposits that had built up inside the pipe."
separable
3 B2 neutral
(Medicine/Biology) Of skin or a similar surface: to shed in dry, flaky layers.
"Her skin began to scale off after a bad sunburn."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Scales (flat pieces) moving off a surface — fairly transparent.
Actually means
When small hard pieces break off from a surface and fall away, like old paint or dry skin.
Usage tip
Used in contexts involving skin conditions (psoriasis, sunburn), geology (rock erosion), and surface deterioration (paint, rust). More common in British English.
Words that pair with "scale off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
paint skin rust rock plaster bark
How to conjugate "scale off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
scale off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
scales off
he/she/it
Past simple
scaled off
yesterday
Past participle
scaled off
have + pp
-ing form
scaling off
continuous
Hear "scale off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "scale off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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