1 A2 neutral
To remove a substance or mark from a surface by wiping with a cloth or tissue.
"She wiped the lipstick off the glass before putting it back in the cupboard."
separable
wipe off
A2 neutral separable transitive
To remove a substance or mark from a surface by wiping.
In plain English
To clean a mark or dirty substance off something by rubbing it with a cloth.
What does "wipe off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To eliminate a large amount of financial value quickly, as in a stock market crash or business loss.
"The crash wiped off nearly a trillion dollars of market value in a single day."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To wipe something so it comes off the surface — fully transparent.
Actually means
To clean a mark or dirty substance off something by rubbing it with a cloth.
Usage tip
Everyday and very common. Used for physical marks (mud, ink, lipstick) as well as financial values (a market crash wipes off billions). The financial sense is common in journalism.
Words that pair with "wipe off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
dirt lipstick mark grease billions value
How to conjugate "wipe off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wipe off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
wipes off
he/she/it
Past simple
wiped off
yesterday
Past participle
wiped off
have + pp
-ing form
wiping off
continuous
Hear "wipe off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wipe off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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