wave off

verb

To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.

“Near-synonym: wave away”

Similar
wave away
Opposite
flag down
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Meanings

verbwave off (third-person singular simple present waves off, present participle waving off, simple past and past participle waved off)

present singular third person waves off · participle present waving off · participle past waved off · past waved off

  1. transitiveTo give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.

    Near-synonym: wave away

    1 more example

    He waved off the approaching truck driver and restarted the apparatus.

    Synonyms: wave away · Antonyms: flag down

    1. transitiveaeronauticsOf an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around.

      Synonyms: wave away · Antonyms: flag down

  2. transitiveTo say goodbye to someone with a wave (hand gesture).
  3. ball gamesOf a referee, to disallow a field goal with the aforementioned hand gesture.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.

Similar
wave away
Opposite
flag down

verbOf an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around.

Similar
wave away
Opposite
flag down
Also see
wave away
Cite this entry
APA

wave off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wave%20off

MLA

“wave off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wave%20off. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wave off,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wave%20off.

Source: wave off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.