tick off

verb

ticked off; ticking off; ticks off

transitive verb

1
: to make angry or indignant
the cancellation really ticked me off
2
: reprimand, rebuke
his father ticked him off for his impudence

Examples of tick off in a Sentence

she royally ticked the babysitter off for letting the child play outside unsupervised it really ticks me off when someone says something like that
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Organized Crime Premiere: Stabler and Benson Reunite Under Dire Circumstances as Season 5 Begins — Read Episodes 1 and 2 Recap At Meredith’s old house, Blue ticked off Simone by letting a guy who was barely an almost acquaintance crash there without telling her. Charlie Mason, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025 In today’s fast-moving, complex business environment, assembling the right team is more than just ticking off boxes of technical competencies or work experience. Melanie Hughes, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025 After all, a lot of the same ingredients that tick off your skin (like fragrances and dyes) can have the same effect on your eyes, Sonia Kelley, OD, MS, a medical editor for All About Vision and an optometrist based in Ohio, tells SELF. Sara Coughlin, SELF, 3 Apr. 2025 Steinfeld then ticked off two compliments quickly before struggling for a third. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tick off

Word History

Etymology

tick entry 2

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tick off was in 1915

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tick%20off. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on tick off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!