raɪt ɒf
neutral
intermediate
- Base verb:
- write
- Particle:
- off
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "write off" mean?
- To dismiss as worthless or a failure
- To cancel a debt or reduce the value to zero (accounting)
- To damage a vehicle beyond repair
Examples
- Don't write off the new employee - she just needs time to learn.
- The bank had to write off millions in bad loans.
- He wrote off his car in the accident.
- Critics wrote off the movie, but it became a hit.
- We can write off these expenses on our taxes.
How to use it
'Write-off' (noun) can mean a tax deduction or a total loss. Common in business and insurance contexts.
Word order
Object can go between: 'write it off' or 'write off the debt'
Similar expressions
dismiss
cancel
disregard
depreciate
Opposites
appreciate
value
acknowledge
Related phrasal verbs
- write down
To record in writing
- write up
To write a full account or report of something
- turn off
To stop a device or appliance by pressing a switch or button
- get off
To leave a bus, train, plane, or other public transport
- go off
To explode or fire (bomb, gun, fireworks)
- give off
To emit or produce something (smell, heat, light, radiation)
Use it in a practice answer
Try "write off" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.