offside
offside — adjective
- offsidepositive
- more offsidecomparative
- most offsidesuperlative
1. applies to a player who, at the moment a teammate plays the ball, is closer to t
applies to a player who, at the moment a teammate plays the ball, is closer to the opposing goal than both the ball and the second-to-last defender — a position that certain sports do not allow.
Théo was offside when Linh passed the ball, so the referee blew the whistle.
used after linking verb 'was'; passive structure
The assistant referee raised her flag because the striker had moved into an offside position.
offside + noun: 'offside position'
Mauricio's goal was disallowed because the video showed he was offside by a tiny margin.
In the second half, the away team was caught offside every time they attacked.
- onside
the legal position in sports that have an offside rule
用法筆記
The offside rule exists in football (soccer), ice hockey, field hockey, and rugby, but not in basketball, volleyball, or American football. Many learners find this rule confusing because it depends on timing — a player is only offside at the moment the ball is played, not when they receive it.
常見錯誤
2. concerning the half of a car or other vehicle that sits nearer oncoming traffic
concerning the half of a car or other vehicle that sits nearer oncoming traffic than the pavement — in countries where cars keep to the left, such as the United Kingdom, this means the right-hand half of the vehicle.
Owen replaced the offside wing mirror after a cyclist knocked it off during rush hour.
offside + noun: 'offside wing mirror'
The scratch was on the offside door, so the mechanic said the car was safe.
UK drivers must check their offside blind spot before changing lanes on a motorway.
The offside rear panel was dented when Linh backed into a bollard in the car park.
- nearside
the side of the vehicle closest to the pavement or edge of the road
用法筆記
This term is used mainly in the UK and in countries that follow British driving conventions. The opposite side — the side closest to the pavement — is called the 'nearside'. In the US and other right-hand traffic countries, the same concept uses 'driver side' and 'passenger side'.
常見錯誤
offside — noun
1. the act of moving into a position on the field that the rules of certain sports
the act of moving into a position on the field that the rules of certain sports forbid — an offence that generally gives the other team a free kick or a stoppage in play.
The referee gave a free kick for offside after Tamar ran past the last defender.
preposition: 'for offside' (reason for a call)
Tyler's first goal was ruled out for offside, which upset the visiting supporters.
Hannah had never understood the offside rule until she started playing football at university.
The new video assistant technology has made offside decisions much more accurate this season.
- offside offence
more formal term used in official rule books
- onside
the legal state of being in a permitted position
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun, 'offside' does not take 'a' or 'an' — 'called for offside', not 'called for an offside'. You can also say 'an offside' informally, meaning one particular instance, though this is less common in formal sports commentary.
常見錯誤
2. the part of a car or van that faces toward oncoming traffic while driving — in t
the part of a car or van that faces toward oncoming traffic while driving — in the United Kingdom and other nations that drive on the left, this means the vehicle's right-hand portion, away from the kerb.
Park the van closer to the kerb so its offside does not block traffic.
structure: 'the offside of [vehicle]'
Eshe checked the offside of the lorry before pulling out onto the motorway.
The form asked if the damage was to the near side or the off side.
Saira heard a strange noise from the offside every time she turned right.
- nearside
the side of the vehicle next to the pavement
用法筆記
This term is always used with 'the' and is followed by 'of' when specifying the vehicle ('the offside of the car'). It is the standard way to refer to the road-facing side in UK vehicle repair manuals, insurance forms, and driving test vocabulary.
常見錯誤
offside — adverb
1. in a position on the playing field that is not allowed by the rules because the
in a position on the playing field that is not allowed by the rules because the player is nearer to the opposing team's goal than the ball when it is passed to a teammate.
The linesman raised his flag because the forward had moved offside before receiving the pass.
used after verb of movement: 'moved offside'
Noor was standing offside when Saira kicked the ball, so the goal did not count.
The coach told the defenders to step forward quickly and catch the attackers offside.
The forward was caught standing offside when the cross came in from the right wing.
- onside
in a legal position relative to the ball
用法筆記
The adverb sense is very close in meaning to the adjective sense, and in many sentences the two are interchangeable. The adverb form is preferred when it directly modifies a verb of movement or position ('move offside', 'stand offside', 'catch someone offside').