idiom · informal
on-and-off relationship
UK/ˌɒn ənd ˈɒf rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/US/ˌɑːn ənd ˈɔːf rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/on-and-off re·LA·tion·ship
a relationship that breaks up and gets back together repeatedly
Examples
“They've had an on-and-off relationship for years — it never seems stable.”
“An on-and-off relationship can be emotionally exhausting.”
“People warned her about his on-and-off relationship history.”
Band 8 sentence
“They've spent the last five years in an on-and-off relationship, which has taken a real toll on both of them emotionally.”
Collocations
- have an on-and-off relationship
- be in an on-and-off relationship
Word family
Common mistakes
They have on and off relationship.→They have an on-and-off relationship.
They are on and off.→They are on-and-off.
Say it for a higher band
5break up and get back together→6unstable relationship→7+on-and-off relationship
Synonyms
break up and get back together
turbulent relationship
Easily confused
turbulent relationship
“Their relationship became turbulent after they moved in together.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Relationships
Learn it with its set