Put Off | Meaning & Examples
The phrasal verb put off has two very different meanings: “to postpone something” (e.g., “put it off until tomorrow”) and “to be the source of aversion” (e.g., “my date’s messy car put me off”). The two put off meanings are quite different from the meaning of “put,” which is “to place” (e.g., “put the ice cream in the freezer”).
“Put off” is a transitive verb, so it always has a direct object, which is a task or event when “put off” means “to delay or postpone” and a person when “put off” means “to cause someone to feel an aversion.”
The tips and examples below show how to use “put off” correctly in sentences. If you’re also wondering, “What does off-putting mean?” you can find those details in the last section. And when you use “put off” in your writing, the QuillBot Grammar Checker will help you with correct spelling, verb conjugation, and punctuation.
I used to like that show, but the bad acting has put me off.
What does put off mean?
“Put off” is a phrasal verb with two meanings:
- To delay or postpone
- To be a source of someone’s aversion
Both of the “put off” meanings are explained in more detail below.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use “put off” correctly in any verb tense.
To postpone or delay
This “put off” meaning has two slightly different connotations (aka implied meanings):
- To procrastinate something you don’t want to do
- To delay something out of necessity (e.g., weather)
The direct object of this transitive, separable phrasal verb is usually a task, event, etc. You can put the direct object between “put” and “off” or after “put off.”
Put off meaning “delay”: The manager is feeling unwell, so we’ll put the meeting off until Friday.
When the object pronoun “them” or “it” is the direct object of “put off,” it always goes between “put” and “off.”
Put it off meaning “delay”: It was raining on the first day of the soccer tournament, so we put it off until next weekend.
To be a source of someone’s aversion
When “put off” means “to be a source of someone’s aversion,” the direct object is the person who dislikes or feels disinterested in the subject, which is usually something unpleasant.
This version of “put off” is separable like the other meanings, which means the direct object can go between the verb and particle or after “put off.” The direct object always goes between “put” and “off” if it’s a pronoun. When the direct object is a long phrase, it tends to go after “put off.”
It’s also common to use this meaning of “put off” in the passive voice (“Many people are put off by the humidity”) instead of the active voice (e.g., “The humidity puts many people off”).
Some adults are put off by animated movies because they seem basic.
Off-putting meaning
“Off-putting” is an adjective and a compound word that means “disliked” or “unpleasant.” Like many other compound adjectives that come from phrasal verbs, “off-putting” has a hyphen. (If you forget the hyphen, QuillBot’s Grammar Checker will remind you to add one.)
The speaker’s off-putting tone made the audience uncomfortable.
Karla loves hip-hop, but she finds pop music off-putting.
- Put off synonym: “reschedule” or “deter”
- Off-putting synonym: “unappealing”
Have you tried the “formal” mode in the QuillBot Paraphraser? It can instantly show you formal alternatives to “put off” and “off-putting.”
Frequently asked questions about put off meaning
- What are some synonyms for off-putting?
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Synonyms for off-putting include “unpleasant,” “unappealing,” and “distasteful.” “Off-putting is an adjective and a compound word that comes from the phrasal verb “put off.”
When something is off-putting to someone or puts someone off, it causes them to feel dislike or disinterest.
“Off-putting” is an informal word choice, so in formal writing (e.g., essays), one of the synonyms is usually more appropriate. The QuillBot Paraphraser can instantly show you formal ways to say “off-putting.”
- What’s a synonym for putting off?
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A synonym for putting off (e.g., “I’m putting it off until tomorrow”) is “delaying,” “postponing,” “procrastinating,” or “rescheduling.”
“Putting off” is the present participle of “put off,” which is a phrasal verb. When someone is putting a task off, they’re deciding to do it later than scheduled or expected.
“Putting off” is a casual word choice, but its synonyms are more formal. When you need to adjust the tone of casual word choices like “putting off,” the QuillBot paraphrasing tool will show you formal alternatives.
- Is it put or putted?
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The past tense of put, meaning “to place,” is also put. Putted is the past tense of a different verb, “putt,” which is a type of golf stroke.
- Aliya putted her phone away and joined in with the game.
- Aliya put her phone away and joined in with the game.
Put is an irregular verb that is spelled the same in the infinitive, simple past, and past participle forms.
You can easily check your spelling and grammar using the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
