1 B1 neutral
To use physical exercise or activity to eliminate excess calories, energy, or negative emotions.
"He went for a long run to work off the stress from his difficult meeting."
separable
work off
B2 neutral separable transitive
To eliminate something — such as a debt, excess energy, stress, or calories — through effort or activity.
In plain English
To get rid of something (like stress or a debt) by working or exercising.
What does "work off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To repay a debt through work or services rather than money.
"He worked off his rent by helping the landlord renovate the building."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To work until something is 'off' or removed — the 'off' signals reduction to zero.
Actually means
To get rid of something (like stress or a debt) by working or exercising.
Usage tip
Commonly used with food/calories ('work off a meal'), negative emotions ('work off frustration'), and debts ('work off a loan'). In the debt sense, it implies that payment is made through labour rather than money. Very natural in everyday spoken English.
Words that pair with "work off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
calories stress anger debt energy meal tension
How to conjugate "work off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
work off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
works off
he/she/it
Past simple
worked off
yesterday
Past participle
worked off
have + pp
-ing form
working off
continuous
Hear "work off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "work off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.