go off — lose enthusiasm
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
To stop liking, enjoying, or being interested in something or someone that you previously liked.
Say it like a native
Textbook I have lost my enthusiasm for this restaurant.
Native I've kind of gone off that place.
'Go off (something)' is the BrE way to say you no longer like it. The formal version is heavy and very un-British.
Pattern: go off + noun/gerund
In use
- After years of drinking tea, I've really gone off it and now prefer coffee.feelings
- Some people go off certain hobbies as they get older, preferring to spend their time in different ways.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I went off from coffee recently.
✓ I've gone off coffee recently.
'Go off + thing' directly (no 'from'); it means you used to like it but don't now.
Common collocations
go off + thing/person— coffee, the idea, him, that band
Don't confuse it
This sense is figurative and refers to a change in feelings or preferences, not to food spoiling or alarms/bombs making a noise.
Related
- go off (alarm rings or bomb explodes) — 'go off' also has the more basic meaning 'alarm rings or bomb explodes'; this is the advanced sense.