Phrase guide

off and on

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adv

Meaning 1

Alternative form of on and off.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

Examples

  • With so much worry, I only slept off and on last night.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

On different tacks, now toward, and now away from, the land.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

not regularly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they phone each other off and on

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: on and off

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Norwegian: av og til — intermittently
  • Polish: zrywami — intermittently
  • Russian: уры́вками (urývkami) — intermittently
  • Swedish: till och från — intermittently