mark off

mark off — phrasal verb

  • mark offbase form
  • marks off3rd person singular
  • marking off-ing form
  • marked offpast simple

1. to draw a line through or put a tick beside an item on a written list, showing i

1.片語動詞及物B1
釋義

to draw a line through or put a tick beside an item on a written list, showing it has been finished or dealt with

例句

Adisa marked off each chore on the fridge list before leaving for work.

mark off + each + chore on a list

Sahil went down the list and marked off every name he had already called.

同義詞
  • tick off

    more common in British English; suggests using a tick (✓) symbol

  • check off

    more common in American English; used for lists and tasks

文法句型

mark off + item/name/task

mark + item/name/task + off

用法筆記

Object is typically a name, a task, or an item on a physical or mental list. The particle can be separated: 'mark something off' or 'mark off something.'

2. to give a person or thing a quality that makes them stand out as clearly differe

2.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to give a person or thing a quality that makes them stand out as clearly different from others around them

例句

Constanza's quiet confidence marked her off from the rest of the team.

A deep sense of fairness marks Eli off from most politicians in the region.

同義詞
  • set apart

    very similar meaning; often used in the passive ('is set apart from')

  • distinguish

    more formal; suitable for academic or professional contexts

反義詞
  • blend in

    to look or seem the same as everything around you

文法句型

mark + someone/something + off + from

what marks + someone + off is

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'from' to show what the person or thing is being contrasted with. Common in descriptions of distinctive personal qualities or features.

3. to draw a line, put up a rope, or place some other kind of marker to show where

3.片語動詞及物B1
釋義

to draw a line, put up a rope, or place some other kind of marker to show where one area ends and another begins

例句

Kenji marked off the planting area with wooden stakes and bright orange string.

The police marked off the crime scene with yellow tape before the crowd arrived.

mark off + with + tape/material

同義詞
  • rope off

    specifically uses rope to separate an area

  • cordon off

    more formal; usually for official or emergency situations

文法句型

mark off + area

mark off + area + with + material

用法筆記

Used for physical boundaries only. The direct object is the area being separated, not the marker itself. Distinguish from sense 1: here you are creating a spatial boundary, not checking items off a list.

常見錯誤

The police marked the tape off around the scene.
The police marked off the scene with tape.
💡the area being separated is the object, not the marker.