write off

Verb

write off (third-person singular simple present writes off, present participle writing off, simple past wrote off, past participle written off)

1. (transitive) To reduce the book value of (an asset) to zero.
2. (transitive) To record (an expenditure) as an expense.
3. (transitive) To remove a portion of a debt or an amount of an account owed, counting it as a loss (as a gesture of goodwill for example).
4. To record a notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.
5. (transitive) To treat as a write-off, a total loss, especially something damaged beyond economic repair.
   • The '800' received substantial collision damage, while the High Speed Train power car was written off.2020 May 20, “Fleet News: Collision-damaged '800' at Wolverton”, in Rail, page 25
6. (figuratively, transitive) To assign a low value to (somebody or something).
   • When Katya was injured, he wrote off the team's chances in the finals.
   • Hey, don't write yourself off yet / It's only in your head, you feel left out2001 July 24, Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle”, in Bleed American, DreamWorks, →OCLC