1 B1 neutral
To accompany someone to the place where they are departing — such as an airport, station, or door — in order to say goodbye.
"The whole family drove to the airport to see her off before her move to Canada."
separable
see off
B1 neutral separable transitive
To go to a station, airport, or other departure point to say goodbye to someone who is leaving; also, to defeat or get rid of a threat.
In plain English
To go with someone to the place where they leave (like an airport) to say goodbye; or to beat someone who is causing a problem.
What does "see off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To defeat, repel, or get rid of a rival, attacker, or threat.
"The home team saw off a strong challenge from their opponents in the second half."
“
Boris Johnson saw off a leadership challenge from within his own party.
— BBC News, 2019
separable
3 B1 informal
To chase away or force someone to leave.
"The guard dog saw off the trespassers before they could get near the house."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To watch someone go off — extended to mean accompanying them to their departure or driving away a threat.
Actually means
To go with someone to the place where they leave (like an airport) to say goodbye; or to beat someone who is causing a problem.
Usage tip
The 'say goodbye' sense is very common in British English. The 'defeat/repel' sense is more informal and can refer to a sporting defeat, repelling an attacker, or overcoming an illness.
Words that pair with "see off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
guests visitors challenger competition rival infection
How to conjugate "see off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
see off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sees off
he/she/it
Past simple
saw off
yesterday
Past participle
seen off
have + pp
-ing form
seeing off
continuous
Hear "see off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "see off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.