come off as — seem to be a particular type of person
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
To give people a certain impression of your personality, attitude, or mood, often without meaning to.
Say it like a native
Textbook He gives the impression of being rather arrogant.
Native He comes off as a bit arrogant.
'Gives the impression of being' is wordy; 'come off as' is the natural spoken way to say how someone seems.
Pattern: come off as + adjective/noun
In use
- He can come off as a bit arrogant, but he's actually very friendly once you get to know him.communication
- In group discussions, I sometimes worry that I come off as too quiet, even though I'm paying attention.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I don't want to come off rude.
✓ I don't want to come off as rude.
Use 'come off AS + description' — don't drop the 'as'.
Common collocations
come off as + trait— rude, arrogant, cold, desperate
Don't confuse it
'Come off as' is about the impression you give, not your true personality.