kick off

2 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 start an event, game, or activity B2
  2. 2 suddenly become angry or start to argue B2
1 kick off

start an event, game, or activity

B2

What does "kick off" mean in this sense?

This sense of 'kick off' means that something — usually an event, season, campaign, or tour — begins, often with a sense of energy and excitement. The subject is typically the event itself, not a person: you say 'The festival kicks off on Friday', not 'We kick off the festival' in this usage. It carries an informal, lively feel that plain words like 'begin' or 'start' don't always capture, which is why it's popular in sports commentary, entertainment journalism, and promotional writing. You'll often see it paired with a time or place ('kicks off at 8pm', 'kicks off in Berlin') to give the audience practical information alongside that sense of anticipation. While it's widely understood in American English, it's especially common in British English, partly because of its roots in football — the literal kick that starts a match.

Examples

How to use it

event + kick off + (time/place expression)

The most common pattern: the event is the subject and no object follows the particle — time or location phrases can be added after.

The world tour kicks off in Dublin next month.

event + kick off + with + noun

Use 'with' to describe how the event begins — what the opening activity or highlight is.

The film festival kicked off with a screening of an award-winning documentary.

event + kick off + at + time

Very common in schedules and event listings to state the start time.

The ceremony kicks off at seven o'clock sharp, so don't be late.

event + be + kicking off + (time expression)

The present continuous is used to talk about something starting in the near future, often in promotional or conversational contexts.

The new season is kicking off this weekend with three big matches.

adverb + kick off

Adverbs like 'officially' or 'formally' can be added before 'kick off' to give extra emphasis to the start.

The awareness campaign officially kicked off on Monday with a press conference.

Common Collocations

festival kicks offseason kicks offtour kicks offmatch kicks offcampaign kicks offkicks off at [time]

Common Mistakes

Treating it as transitive in this sense

In this 'begin' sense, 'kick off' is intransitive — the event is the subject and there is no direct object after the particle. Inserting an object turns it into a different, transitive use.

✗ The festival kicks off the summer season beautifully.
✓ The summer season kicks off with the festival next week.
Confusing it with 'kick someone off'

'Kick off' meaning 'begin' has the event as its subject and takes no object, while 'kick someone off' means to remove or eject a person from a team or group and always needs an object.

✗ She was kicked off the competition. (using this to mean the competition began)
✓ The competition kicked off on Saturday. / She was kicked off the competition. (ejection sense only)
Using it in overly formal contexts

'Kick off' is informal and suits spoken English, sports coverage, and event promotion well, but sounds out of place in formal reports or academic writing — use 'begin', 'commence', or 'open' instead.

✗ The annual symposium will kick off with a keynote address from the dean.
✓ The annual symposium will open with a keynote address from the dean.

Usage

This phrasal verb is informal and very common in spoken English, sports commentary, and event promotion. It is more common in British English but widely understood in American English; in formal writing, use 'begin', 'commence', or 'open' instead.

2 kick off

suddenly become angry or start to argue

B2

Sense 2: What does "kick off" mean?

This expression describes the moment when someone suddenly loses their temper and becomes angry or aggressive, or when a situation rapidly erupts into chaos or violence. It carries a strong sense of spontaneity — the anger or disorder seems to come from nowhere, or at least very quickly. The phrase is very common in British informal speech, particularly when talking about confrontations at public events, in pubs, or on the street. You'll often hear the fixed chunk 'it all kicked off' to describe a scene descending into conflict. Because it's strongly colloquial, it belongs in casual conversation, texts, or tabloid headlines — not in formal writing or professional contexts.

Examples

How to use it

person + kick off

The most common pattern, where a person is the subject and the verb describes them suddenly becoming angry or aggressive.

He kicked off when he realised they'd given his table away.

situation/event + kick off

A situation, fight, argument, or event can also be the subject, describing disorder or conflict breaking out spontaneously.

A massive argument kicked off at the back of the queue.

it all + kick off

The fixed chunk 'it all kicked off' is extremely natural in British informal English and is used to describe a sudden eruption of chaos or conflict.

It all kicked off outside the stadium after the final whistle.

kick off + when/after + clause

A when- or after-clause is commonly added to explain what triggered the anger or conflict.

Things really kicked off after a couple of lads started arguing over the last table.

kick off + intensifier (really / properly / big time)

Intensifiers like 'really', 'properly', or 'big time' are frequently used to emphasise how severe the reaction or situation was.

She properly kicked off when she found out she hadn't been invited.

Common Collocations

a fight kicked offit all kicked offhe/she kicked offtrouble kicked offthings kicked offreally kicked off

Common Mistakes

Confusing this sense with 'kick off' meaning 'start'

The neutral sense of 'kick off' — meaning to begin an event or meeting — is completely different. Using this sense in the wrong context can cause confusing or unintentionally funny misunderstandings. Context is key: if there's no suggestion of anger or conflict, the listener will assume you mean 'start'.

✗ The tournament kicked off when the manager heard the referee's decision. [ambiguous — does the tournament start, or does it descend into chaos?]
✓ The crowd kicked off when the manager heard the referee's decision.
Using an object after the verb

In this sense, 'kick off' is always intransitive — it never takes a direct object. Adding an object will make the sentence read as the shoe-removal sense ('kick off your shoes') rather than the anger/violence sense.

✗ He kicked off his temper at the match.
✓ He kicked off at the match.
Using it in formal or international contexts

This meaning of 'kick off' is British (and Irish) informal slang and is not widely recognised outside the UK. In formal writing or professional settings, and when speaking to an international audience, use alternatives like 'a fight broke out', 'tensions flared', or 'he became aggressive'.

Usage

This is British informal slang and may not be understood outside the UK and Ireland. It is too informal for professional or academic writing — use 'a fight broke out' or 'he became angry' in formal contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a person be the subject of 'kick off' in this meaning?

Not naturally in this sense. The subject is almost always the event, season, tour, or campaign itself — for example, 'The conference kicks off on Tuesday.' If a person is the subject, it signals a different meaning, such as the British slang sense of becoming angry.

Is 'kick off' mainly British, or do Americans use it too?

It's especially common in British English, where it has strong roots in football. Americans are familiar with it too, particularly in sports contexts, but they may use 'start' or 'open' more often in everyday speech. The noun 'kickoff' is actually very common in American English for sports events.

Can 'kick off' be used for small, quiet beginnings — like starting a book or a quiet meeting?

It can technically be used, but it sounds a bit odd because 'kick off' carries a lively, energetic connotation. It fits best when there's a sense of occasion, excitement, or scale — think festivals, seasons, campaigns, and tours. For quiet or routine starts, 'begin' or 'start' are more natural choices.

What's the difference between 'kick off' and 'start off' here?

'Start off' is slightly more neutral and general, while 'kick off' has more energy and is more specifically tied to events and occasions. Both are informal, but 'kick off' is the stronger, more vivid choice — it implies something worth getting excited about.

Is 'kickoff' (one word) related to this phrasal verb?

Yes — 'kickoff' is the noun form and is commonly used to ask about or refer to the start time of an event, especially a sports match ('What time is kickoff?'). The one-word spelling is particularly common in American English, while the two-word 'kick off' is the verb form used in a sentence like 'The match kicks off at 3pm'.

Can 'kick off' be used in the passive — like 'the fight was kicked off'?

No — in this sense, 'kick off' is intransitive, which means it has no object and cannot be made passive. You can say 'a fight kicked off' but not 'a fight was kicked off'. If you need a passive construction, use a different verb, such as 'a fight was started by the crowd'.

Is 'kick off' (meaning to get angry) understood in American or Australian English?

Not usually. This is a distinctly British and Irish informal expression. Speakers of American or Australian English are much more likely to interpret 'kick off' as meaning 'to start' rather than 'to become angry or violent'. If you're speaking to a non-British audience, it's safer to say something like 'he lost it' or 'things got out of hand'.

What's the difference between 'he kicked off' and 'it all kicked off'?

'He kicked off' focuses on a specific person losing their temper. 'It all kicked off' is a fixed chunk used to describe a whole situation erupting into chaos or conflict — it's less about one individual and more about the scene as a whole. Both are very common in British informal speech, but 'it all kicked off' tends to paint a more dramatic, wide-scale picture.

Does 'kick off' suggest actual physical violence, or can it just mean getting verbally angry?

It can mean either. 'Kick off' covers a range from someone loudly losing their temper (shouting, complaining aggressively) all the way to full physical violence breaking out. The context usually makes it clear which is meant — 'she kicked off at the customer service desk' suggests shouting, while 'a riot kicked off after the match' clearly implies physical disorder.

Can I use 'kick off' in the present tense to talk about habits, like 'he always kicks off'?

Yes, the present simple works well here to describe someone's typical behaviour. Sentences like 'he always kicks off over nothing' or 'she kicks off whenever she doesn't get her way' are natural and very common in British informal speech.

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