gloves are off
gloves are off phrase: expressing that people are arguing or competing without regard to propriety, restraint, feelings, or (even) safety.
Phrase
gloves are off
- Expressing that people are arguing or competing without regard to propriety, restraint, feelings, or (even) safety.
- The gloves are off in this match; both teams are purposely committing fouls against opposing players!
- In the early years after 9/11, it was often said of antiterrorism that "the gloves are off now."
Forms of gloves are off
| alternative form | gloves come off |
|---|
Origin of gloves are off
One possible etymology comes from the sport of boxing, where competitors fistfight wearing padded gloves; removing the gloves during a fight could result in serious physical injury. Another comes from the trend of gentlemen wearing gloves as part of their outfit; these gloves would often be taken off before engaging in rough behavior. Compare throw down the gauntlet.
Questions about gloves are off
- What does gloves are off mean?
- Gloves are off means expressing that people are arguing or competing without regard to propriety, restraint, feelings, or (even) safety.
- What part of speech is gloves are off?
- Gloves are off is a phrase.
Words near gloves are off in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: gloves are off (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-the gloves are off.wav.
Cite this entry: “gloves are off.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/gloves_are_off. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.