1 B1 neutral
In golf, to play the first shot of a hole from the tee.
"The tournament leaders are scheduled to tee off at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
inseparable
tee off
B2 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To hit the first golf shot of a hole, to start a formal event, or (informal) to annoy someone.
In plain English
In golf, to take your first hit; at an event, to start things off; or to make someone really annoyed.
What does "tee off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To begin a formal event, meeting, or programme.
"The conference will tee off with a keynote address from the CEO."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
(Informal, especially American English) To annoy or anger someone.
"It really tees me off when people don't indicate before turning."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
In golf: to hit the ball from the 'tee' (a small peg) at the start of a hole.
Actually means
In golf, to take your first hit; at an event, to start things off; or to make someone really annoyed.
Usage tip
The golf sense is literal and universal among players. The 'start an event' sense is used in broadcasting and business. The 'annoy someone' sense is informal American English.
Words that pair with "tee off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
at eight the tournament the conference someone the proceedings
How to conjugate "tee off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
tee off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tees off
he/she/it
Past simple
teed off
yesterday
Past participle
teed off
have + pp
-ing form
teeing off
continuous
Hear "tee off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "tee off"
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