1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To prevent an illness, danger, or threat from affecting you.
"Eating plenty of vitamin C is thought to ward off colds in the winter."
separable
ward off
B2 neutral separable transitive
To prevent or defend against something threatening, harmful, or unwanted.
In plain English
Stop something bad from reaching you or hurting you.
What does "ward off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To defend against a physical attack or aggressive approach.
"She used her bag to ward off the attacker."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To use a charm, ritual, or action to keep away evil, spirits, or bad luck.
"In many cultures, certain plants are hung above doorways to ward off evil spirits."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To push (ward) something away.
Actually means
Stop something bad from reaching you or hurting you.
Usage tip
Commonly used with illness, danger, evil, and negative emotions. Also used in superstitious or folklore contexts (warding off evil spirits). Slightly formal in tone.
Words that pair with "ward off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
illness evil danger infection attack depression spirits
How to conjugate "ward off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ward off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
wards off
he/she/it
Past simple
warded off
yesterday
Past participle
warded off
have + pp
-ing form
warding off
continuous
Hear "ward off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "ward off"
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