1 A2 neutral
To post or dispatch a letter, package, or document.
"I need to send off these invoices before the end of the week."
separable
send off
B1 neutral separable transitive
To post something, to give someone a farewell, or (in sport) to order a player to leave the field.
In plain English
To put something in the post, to say goodbye to someone leaving, or (in football) when a player is made to leave the game by the referee.
What does "send off" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To give a farewell to someone who is departing, often with a celebration or ceremony.
"His colleagues gave him a wonderful send-off when he retired after thirty years."
separable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
(Sport) For a referee to order a player to leave the field of play, usually after a serious foul.
"The referee sent off the striker for a dangerous tackle in the second half."
separable
4 B1 neutral
To send someone away to a place, especially a child to school or camp.
"Her parents sent her off to boarding school when she was eleven."
separable
Usage tip
The sporting sense (referee dismissing a player) is very common in British English. The postal sense is slightly old-fashioned but still used.
Words that pair with "send off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
letter parcel player application troops cheque
How to conjugate "send off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
send off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sends off
he/she/it
Past simple
sent off
yesterday
Past participle
sent off
have + pp
-ing form
sending off
continuous
Hear "send off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "send off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "send off"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
dismiss dispatch expel farewell mail post
Keep exploring
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