Meanings
- humorousUsed to indicate that one is enthusiastic or willing to do something (often (ironic) something somewhat undesirable or unpleasant).
She grinned. "Fun. Does that mean another trip to England for research? I volunteer as tribute."
2018, Shéa MacLeod, chapter 1, in The Death in the Drink (Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries; 7), [Portland, Or.]: Sunwalker Press, →ISBN3 more examples
Being angry is no excuse to be unsportsmanlike. The sons and daughters of Dartmouth clearly can't be expected to accept the consequences of their actions, about which I warned, lightly. So, I volunteer as tribute. You may not be able to stop the shift in campus culture and the evolving Dartmouth social scene, but you could at least get a good, clean fight out of it.
2016 March 2, Abigail Hartley, “A solution to the Greek crisis: People need to change their attitudes about the Greek situation”, in Rebecca Aboulin, editor, The Dartmouth, volume CLXXIII, number 42, Hanover, N.H.: Dartmouth College, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4, column 2"What about Dash [a dog]?" Celia asked. / Margot's hand shot up. "I volunteer as tribute!" / "Yes," I agreed. "We'd be happy to watch Dash." / "He's welcome in our kennels as well," Ian assured him.
2017, Hillary Manton Lodge, Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility, large print edition, Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thorndike Press; Gale, →ISBN, page 276"We can always send in chasers as beaters," Elizabeth suggests, "just so we can catch our breath." […] "I volunteer as tribute," Jackson pipes up. "I'm not much use for anything else anyway."
2020, Anna Meriano, chapter 29, in Kelsey Murphy, editor, This is How We Fly, New York, N.Y.: Philomel Books, →ISBN, page 427
Origin
From the novel The Hunger Games (2008) by the American writer Suzanne Collins (born 1962), in which the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, shouts the phrase when offering to take her sister’s place as a “tribute” (competitor) in the titular battle royale. The term was further popularized by the film The Hunger Games (2012) based on the novel.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish ilmoittaudun vapaaehtoiseksi
- ilmoittaudun vapaaehtoiseksiused to indicate enthusiastism or willingness to do something
Polish zgłaszam się na ochotnika, chcę być trybutem
- zgłaszam się na ochotnikaused to indicate enthusiastism or willingness to do something
- chcę być trybutemused to indicate enthusiastism or willingness to do something
Cite this entry
I volunteer as tribute. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20volunteer%20as%20tribute
“I volunteer as tribute.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20volunteer%20as%20tribute. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “I volunteer as tribute,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20volunteer%20as%20tribute.
Source: I volunteer as tribute on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.