a)GET RID OFto get rid of something, especially a feeling such as anger, nervousness etc, by doing something that uses a lot of your energy 〔通过消耗精力〕消除,发泄〔怒气、紧张情绪等〕
Walking is excellent for working off tension.
散步对于消除紧张情绪非常有效。
I need to go and work off a few of these calories.
我要去消耗掉一些卡路里。
b)to do a job for someone else because you owe them money or because they have helped you in the past 干活抵销〔欠款或人情债〕
She hasn’t worked off her debts to me yet.
她干的活还没有抵清欠我的债。
Examples from the Corpus
work off• And their work has paid off.• Galeforcewinds could not blow away the players' enthusiasm but they did make it very hard work.• Months of hard work had paid off.• Finally, time work took off and she decided to become self-employed.• Whether or not the campaignwork will pay off for Wilson with a spot on a possibleDoleticket is unclear.• I worked on and off on Tremayne's book for the rest of the morning but found it hard to concentrate.• I had to give the ball up, and then I had work my butt off to get it back.• And, I justify to myself, she worked her butt off to graduate with honors and heftyscholarships.