offset
/ˈɒfset/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɔːfset/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈȯf-ˌset transitive senses are also ȯf-ˈset/ (ame, mw)
offset — verb
- offsetpresent simple I / you / we / they
- offsetshe / she / it
- offsetting-ing form
1. to use one thing — usually a gain, saving, or positive effect — so that it cance
to use one thing — usually a gain, saving, or positive effect — so that it cancels out a loss, cost, or negative effect from somewhere else, leaving the overall result roughly even.
Higher fuel prices were offset by cheaper food and clothing this month.
passive: be offset by + noun
Maya offset her long flight with a donation to plant fifty trees in Kenya.
offset + noun + with + noun
The factory's losses in March were offset by strong sales in April and May.
Sales tax cuts will partly offset the rise in property tax for homeowners.
Diego hoped his weekend job would offset the cost of his new laptop.
- counterbalance
more formal; emphasises equal force on both sides
- compensate for
wider use; can apply to feelings or fairness, not just numbers
- cancel out
informal; suggests the two amounts fully erase each other
- compound
to make a loss or problem worse instead of balancing it
文法句型
offset + noun (cost / loss / effect) + by/with + noun
用法筆記
Subject is usually money, savings, gains, or positive effects; object is usually a cost, loss, or harm. Frequently used in the passive: be offset by something.
常見錯誤
2. to make up for the carbon dioxide that your activity puts into the air, by payin
to make up for the carbon dioxide that your activity puts into the air, by paying for projects such as planting trees or building clean-energy plants that take the same amount of carbon back out.
The airline lets passengers offset their flight emissions for a small fee at checkout.
offset + emissions / footprint
Lina offset her family's holiday flights by funding a solar project in rural India.
The company promised to offset every ton of carbon its trucks produced this year.
Carlos offset his daily commute by paying a charity to plant trees in Brazil.
- neutralize
as in 'carbon-neutralize'; emphasises bringing the net effect to zero
- compensate for
broader; can be used outside the climate context
文法句型
offset + noun (emissions / carbon / footprint)
用法筆記
Object is almost always a carbon-related noun: emissions, footprint, flights, carbon. Distinguish from sense 1: this is specifically about climate damage, paid for through environmental projects, not general money balancing.
常見錯誤
offset — noun
1. an amount, action, or feature that helps cancel out the effect of something else
an amount, action, or feature that helps cancel out the effect of something else — for example, a tax saving that reduces a higher bill, or a tree-planting payment that balances a flight's pollution.
The childcare credit acts as a useful offset against rising rent for young families.
an offset against / to + noun
Maria bought a carbon offset for every business trip she took last year.
compound: carbon offset
Lower oil prices were a welcome offset to weaker tourist numbers in coastal towns.
The garden was a quiet offset to the noise of the city street outside.
Tomas saw his evening run as a small offset to a long day at his desk.
- counterbalance
more formal; stresses equal weight on both sides
- compensation
wider; often involves payment for harm or effort, not just balancing numbers
- set-off
legal or accounting term for one debt cancelling another
文法句型
an offset to/against + noun
a + adjective + offset
用法筆記
Often appears with the prepositions 'to' or 'against'. The strongest collocation is 'carbon offset' (a paid credit that balances pollution); outside that, the noun is most common in finance, tax, and budget contexts.