Meaning of off the hook | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.
   idiomatic, not-comparable
2. Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up.
   not-comparable
3. Performing extraordinarily well.
   idiomatic, informal, not-comparable
4. Of a telephone, ringing frequently.
   not-comparable
5. Fresh, cool, trendy, excellent, incredible.
   idiomatic, informal, not-comparable, slang

Equivalents

Examples

“When the boss assigned the project to Tom, the rest of us were relieved to be off the hook.”

“Without any evidence, the police had to let the suspect off the hook.”

“Dom (David Jonsson): Tempting, but I think it's actually something I need to do. Like, I get what they did was peak, but I have to take some responsibility, you know? Yas (Vivian Oparah): Like, not at all. You're gonna let them off the hook after how they treated you?”

“I think he left the phone off the hook so that nobody would call him.”

“The phone was ringing off the hook all night.”

“That's five three-pointers in a row! Smith is off the hook!”

“That party was off the hook!”

CEFR level