Sound off means to give your opinion loudly and forcefully, usually a complaint, and usually without being asked. He spent the journey sounding off about the new parking rules: he complained the whole way. There's mild disapproval in the word: nobody asked, but he got going anyway.
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sound off about a topic; sound off on an issue
- He spent the journey sounding off about the new parking rules.
- The callers sounded off on everything from buses to bin collections.
- She sounded off about the delay before anyone had asked for her opinion.
What changed
First versionHe sounded off the new timetable for twenty minutes.
RevisionHe sounded off about the new timetable for twenty minutes.
Verbs like criticise or attack take an object directly: criticised the timetable. So sounded off the timetable seems fine. But sound off introduces its topic with about or on: sounded off about the timetable.
Speak up means find the courage to say something, often in a good sense: speak up for yourself. Sound off means hold forth with irritation. Sound someone out is the opposite: listening to another person's views.
Your turn
Choose the preposition introducing a complaint topic: He sounded off ___ the noise outside.
Show the answer
about — About introduces the topic of the complaint. Into doesn't connect sound off with what is being complained about.
Describe someone who loves to complain loudly, and the topic that set them off.
The guest sounded off about the train service while the rest of us tried to order lunch.
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