"back off" meaning in All languages combined

See back off on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Audio: en-au-back off.ogg Forms: backs off [present, singular, third-person], backing off [participle, present], backed off [participle, past], backed off [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} back off (third-person singular simple present backs off, present participle backing off, simple past and past participle backed off)
  1. (literally) To move backwards away from something. Tags: literally Translations (to move backwards away from something): задкаваць (zadkavacʹ) [imperfective] (Belarusian), perääntyä (Finnish), reculer (French), hátrál (Hungarian), cofnąć się [perfective] (Polish), cofać się [imperfective] (Polish), odsunąć się [perfective] (Polish), odsuwać się [imperfective] (Polish), recuar (Portuguese), retroceder (Portuguese), отступа́ть (otstupátʹ) (Russian), retroceder (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-back_off-en-verb-6TXWA--D Disambiguation of 'to move backwards away from something': 98 1 0 1
  2. (idiomatic) To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act. Tags: idiomatic Translations (to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act): malttaa mielensä (Finnish), rauhoittua (Finnish), mettre de l’eau dans son vin (French), visszafogja magát (Hungarian), visszavesz [colloquial] (Hungarian), uspokoić się (Polish)
    Sense id: en-back_off-en-verb-zuhOVzTE Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "off", Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Belarusian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 7 49 37 7 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "off": 9 47 31 13 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 11 44 33 12 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 9 48 36 8 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 5 52 38 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Belarusian translations: 9 55 26 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 9 54 26 10 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 12 48 27 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 9 60 19 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 11 52 25 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 8 60 23 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 9 54 27 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 9 55 27 9 Disambiguation of 'to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act': 1 96 2 1
  3. (idiomatic) To lower the setting of. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: dial back, turn down Translations (to lower the setting of): alentaa (Finnish), hiljentää (Finnish), baisser d’un ton (French), lejjebb vesz (Hungarian), wyciszyć (Polish)
    Sense id: en-back_off-en-verb-aI9QOIXw Disambiguation of 'to lower the setting of': 0 2 97 1
  4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see back, off. Derived forms: backoff [noun]
    Sense id: en-back_off-en-verb-9RDX1zrj

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "backs off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "backing off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "backed off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "backed off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "back off (third-person singular simple present backs off, present participle backing off, simple past and past participle backed off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I tried to back off slowly from the tiger in my path.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To move backwards away from something."
      ],
      "id": "en-back_off-en-verb-6TXWA--D",
      "links": [
        [
          "backwards",
          "backwards"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To move backwards away from something."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "zadkavacʹ",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "задкаваць"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "word": "perääntyä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "word": "reculer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "word": "hátrál"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "cofnąć się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "cofać się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "odsunąć się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "odsuwać się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "word": "recuar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "word": "retroceder"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "otstupátʹ",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "word": "отступа́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 1 0 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
          "word": "retroceder"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 49 37 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 47 31 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 44 33 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 48 36 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 52 38 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 55 26 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Belarusian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 54 26 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 48 27 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 60 19 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 52 25 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 60 23 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 54 27 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 55 27 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "You need to back off, or the situation could turn ugly.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I was going to sue until my legal advisors told me to back off.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007 October 10, David M. Herszenhorn, “Capitol Feud: A 12-Year-Old Is the Fodder”, in New York Times:",
          "text": "Republicans on Capitol Hill, who were gearing up to use Graeme as evidence that Democrats have overexpanded the health program to include families wealthy enough to afford private insurance, have backed off.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act."
      ],
      "id": "en-back_off-en-verb-zuhOVzTE",
      "links": [
        [
          "aggressive",
          "aggressive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 2 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
          "word": "malttaa mielensä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 2 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
          "word": "rauhoittua"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 2 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
          "word": "mettre de l’eau dans son vin"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 2 1",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
          "word": "visszafogja magát"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 2 1",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "visszavesz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 96 2 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
          "word": "uspokoić się"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: back out"
        },
        {
          "text": "Could you back off the volume a bit? It’s really loud.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To lower the setting of."
      ],
      "id": "en-back_off-en-verb-aI9QOIXw",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To lower the setting of."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "dial back"
        },
        {
          "word": "turn down"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 2 97 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to lower the setting of",
          "word": "alentaa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 2 97 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to lower the setting of",
          "word": "hiljentää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 2 97 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to lower the setting of",
          "word": "baisser d’un ton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 2 97 1",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to lower the setting of",
          "word": "lejjebb vesz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 2 97 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to lower the setting of",
          "word": "wyciszyć"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "6 0 6 88",
          "tags": [
            "noun"
          ],
          "word": "backoff"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The machine may go back off if it gets too hot. [= turn off again, turn back off].",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see back, off."
      ],
      "id": "en-back_off-en-verb-9RDX1zrj",
      "links": [
        [
          "back",
          "back#English"
        ],
        [
          "off",
          "off#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-back off.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/08/En-au-back_off.ogg/En-au-back_off.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/En-au-back_off.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "back off"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Belarusian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "backoff"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "backs off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "backing off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "backed off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "backed off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "back off (third-person singular simple present backs off, present participle backing off, simple past and past participle backed off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I tried to back off slowly from the tiger in my path.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To move backwards away from something."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "backwards",
          "backwards"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To move backwards away from something."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "You need to back off, or the situation could turn ugly.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I was going to sue until my legal advisors told me to back off.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007 October 10, David M. Herszenhorn, “Capitol Feud: A 12-Year-Old Is the Fodder”, in New York Times:",
          "text": "Republicans on Capitol Hill, who were gearing up to use Graeme as evidence that Democrats have overexpanded the health program to include families wealthy enough to afford private insurance, have backed off.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "aggressive",
          "aggressive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: back out"
        },
        {
          "text": "Could you back off the volume a bit? It’s really loud.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To lower the setting of."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To lower the setting of."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "dial back"
        },
        {
          "word": "turn down"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The machine may go back off if it gets too hot. [= turn off again, turn back off].",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see back, off."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "back",
          "back#English"
        ],
        [
          "off",
          "off#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-back off.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/08/En-au-back_off.ogg/En-au-back_off.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/En-au-back_off.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "zadkavacʹ",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "задкаваць"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "word": "perääntyä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "word": "reculer"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "word": "hátrál"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "cofnąć się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "cofać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "odsunąć się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "odsuwać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "word": "recuar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "word": "retroceder"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "otstupátʹ",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "word": "отступа́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to move backwards away from something",
      "word": "retroceder"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
      "word": "malttaa mielensä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
      "word": "rauhoittua"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
      "word": "mettre de l’eau dans son vin"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
      "word": "visszafogja magát"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "visszavesz"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act",
      "word": "uspokoić się"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to lower the setting of",
      "word": "alentaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to lower the setting of",
      "word": "hiljentää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to lower the setting of",
      "word": "baisser d’un ton"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to lower the setting of",
      "word": "lejjebb vesz"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to lower the setting of",
      "word": "wyciszyć"
    }
  ],
  "word": "back off"
}

Download raw JSONL data for back off meaning in All languages combined (6.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (05fdf6b and 9dbd323). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.