1 B1 neutral
To wave goodbye to someone who is departing.
"The whole family stood on the platform and waved off the train."
separable
wave off
B2 neutral separable transitive
To dismiss something with a wave, or to wave goodbye to someone as they depart.
In plain English
To wave your hand to say something doesn't matter, or to wave goodbye to someone leaving.
What does "wave off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To dismiss something, such as a compliment or a concern, with a casual wave of the hand.
"He waved off the praise, insisting anyone in his position would have done the same."
separable
3 C1 formal
In aviation or military contexts, to signal a pilot or vehicle to abort a landing or approach.
"The flight controller waved off the aircraft when the runway wasn't clear."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically wave something or someone off — both senses align closely with the literal gesture.
Actually means
To wave your hand to say something doesn't matter, or to wave goodbye to someone leaving.
Usage tip
Has two quite distinct meanings: one dismissive, one related to farewell. Context makes the meaning clear. The farewell sense is common in military and aviation contexts (waving off an aircraft). Common in American and British English.
Words that pair with "wave off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
compliment concern plane troops soldiers taxi apology
How to conjugate "wave off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wave off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
waves off
he/she/it
Past simple
waved off
yesterday
Past participle
waved off
have + pp
-ing form
waving off
continuous
Hear "wave off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wave off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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