Meaning
The phrasal verb “feed off” means to gain energy, strength, or advantage from something. It often suggests dependence on or taking advantage of a situation, feeling, or person. It can be used both literally (animals feeding off something) and figuratively (people gaining energy or motivation from something).
Grammar and Usage
- Pattern: feed off + noun
- Verb type: Transitive (requires an object).
- Often used figuratively to describe people drawing strength, motivation, or even negativity from others.
Examples of structures:
- "feed off + energy/emotion"
- "feed off + situation/problem"
- "feed off + resource"
Common Phrases
- feed off the crowd – to gain energy from the audience.
- feed off fear – to exploit or be energized by people’s fear.
- feed off negativity – to gain strength from negative feelings.
- feed off the land – to live by eating what nature provides.
Collocations
- feed off emotions
- feed off fear/anger/jealousy
- feed off the energy of others
- feed off attention
- feed off the land
Examples
- The comedian really feeds off the audience’s laughter.
- Some politicians feed off people’s fears to gain support.
- She feeds off positive energy from her teammates.
- Parasites feed off their hosts to survive.
- The coach’s motivation fed off the team’s determination.
- Children often feed off their parents’ emotions.
- The wildfire fed off the dry grass and spread quickly.
Synonyms or Related
- draw on
- thrive on
- exploit
- live on
- depend on
Antonym
- resist
- detach from
- be independent of