English · Phrasal verb Attested

pawn off

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To get rid of (something or someone unwanted) by transferring it to another.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

loại bỏ thứ không mong muốn bằng cách chuyển cho người khác

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

LeMaster was dealt to the even-lowlier Pittsburgh Pirates for a minor league pitcher. The Indians were so anxious to pawn him off on the Pirates that the club even paid Johnnie a $100,000 "assignment fee" to go to Pittsburgh.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pawn off” mean?

To get rid of (something or someone unwanted) by transferring it to another.

Is “pawn off” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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