idiom · neutral

learn off by heart

UK/lɜːn ɒf baɪ hɑːt/US/lɜrn ɔf baɪ hɑrt/learn·off·by·HEART

speakingtask2

to memorize something perfectly so you can repeat it without thinking

Examples

“She learned the poem off by heart for the recital.”

“Students often learn formulas off by heart, but understanding is more important.”

“I can recite the speech because I learned it off by heart.”

Band 8 sentence

“For presentations I prefer understanding the content rather than just learning it off by heart.”

Collocations

  • learn something off by heart
  • learn a poem off by heart

Word family

learn off by heart verb phraselearned off by heart past participle

Common mistakes

learn by heart→learn off by heart

learn off the heart→learn off by heart

Say it for a higher band

5memorize→6learn by heart→7+learn off by heart

Synonyms

memorize

Easily confused

memorize

“He memorized the dates for the history exam.”

understand

“She understands the theory, not just memorized formulas.”

Related words

keep up withcatch up (on)know something inside outhit the booksburn the midnight oilput one's nose to the grindstonebe snowed under (with)cram for

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