- set someone off
- cause someone to start doing something, esp. laughing or talking
anything will set him off laughing
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
set someone off
Look at other dictionaries:
set someone off — set (someone) off to cause someone to become excited and upset. My sister was an unpredictable young woman, and I never knew what would set her off … New idioms dictionary
set off — set (someone) off to cause someone to become excited and upset. My sister was an unpredictable young woman, and I never knew what would set her off … New idioms dictionary
turn someone off — tv. to dull someone’s interest in someone or something. □ The prof turned me off to the subject. CD The preacher set out to turn off the congregation to sin … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
set — 1 /set/ verb past tense and past participle set PUT DOWN 1 PUT (transitive always + adv/prep) to carefully put something down somewhere, especially something that is difficult to carry: set sth down/on etc: She set the tray down on a table next… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
set — set1 [ set ] (past tense and past participle set) verb *** ▸ 1 put someone/something somewhere ▸ 2 make something happen ▸ 3 make equipment ready ▸ 4 decide time/place/value ▸ 5 establish way to do something ▸ 6 do something that influences ▸ 7… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
set off — phrasal verb Word forms set off : present tense I/you/we/they set off he/she/it sets off present participle setting off past tense set off past participle set off 1) [intransitive] to start a journey, or to start going in a particular direction… … English dictionary
set off — verb 1. put in motion or move to act (Freq. 4) trigger a reaction actuate the circuits • Syn: ↑trip, ↑actuate, ↑trigger, ↑activate, ↑spark off, ↑ … Useful english dictionary
set*/*/*/ — [set] (past tense and past participle set) verb I 1) [T] to put someone or something in a position, or to be in a particular place or position Tea s ready, he told them and set down the tray.[/ex] She set the baby on the floor to play.[/ex] 2)… … Dictionary for writing and speaking English
set — /set/, v., set, setting, n., adj., interj. v.t. 1. to put (something or someone) in a particular place: to set a vase on a table. 2. to place in a particular position or posture: Set the baby on his feet. 3. to place in some relation to something … Universalium
set off (something) — 1. to cause an explosion. The investigation determined that he probably did not set off the blast deliberately. Apparently the bomb was placed in a locker and someone set it off with a cell phone. 2. to cause something to be noticed or make it… … New idioms dictionary
