The phrasal verb "chop off" is predominantly used in informal contexts, though it can appear in more formal writing when describing a literal action, particularly in technical or artistic contexts. It generally means to remove something by cutting, such as "He chopped off a branch with an ax" or "She chopped off her hair." It’s commonly applied to physical objects and implies a fairly straightforward, sometimes violent, process. It is often used when discussing manual or creative tasks, cooking, or accidental removals, with metaphorical uses appearing less frequently. Because of its straightforward, action-oriented nature, "chop off" conveys a sense of decisiveness and is typically favored in more descriptive narratives or dialogues.
B1
Intermediate
1. To remove something by cutting with a sharp tool.
She chopped off a few inches of her hair.
The butcher chopped off a piece of meat for the customer.
He accidentally chopped off his finger while using the saw.
The chef chopped off the fish's head before cooking it.