first off
Idioms-
From the start, immediately. For example, He said to wash the car first off, or Why wasn't she told first off? [Colloquial; late 1800s] Also see under first and foremost; first thing.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“But first off, there’s 10 songs. And secondly, there’s huge stretches with almost no breaks, so just the musicians literally having time to turn the page can be challenging.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025
The UK was first off the blocks, perhaps inevitably.
From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025
When the song dropped, I wasn’t on the bandwagon yet but listening to it recently I was like, first off, I remember this song.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2024
Well, I would like to say first off, that science is and should be for absolutely everyone, regardless of your political affiliation.
From Salon • Oct. 8, 2024
Cory was first off his bike and up the porch.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.