put off

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See also: putoff

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

put off (third-person singular simple present puts off, present participle putting off, simple past and past participle put off)

  1. (transitive) To postpone, especially through procrastination.
    Don't put off your homework to the last minute.
    Don't put your homework off to the last minute.
    Don't put it off to the last minute.
    Don't put it off.
  2. (transitive) To delay (a task, event, etc.).
    The storm put off the game by a week.
    The storm put the game off by a week.
    I'm too busy to see Mr Smith today. I'll have to put him off.
  3. (transitive) To distract; to disturb the concentration of.
    Please be quiet. I'm trying to concentrate and you're putting me off.
  4. (transitive) To cause to dislike; to discourage (from doing).
    Almost drowning put him off swimming.
  5. (transitive) To emit; to give off (an odor, smoke, etc.).
    This type of firewood puts off a strong smell.
  6. (transitive, archaic) To take off (something worn).
    to put off a mask
    • 1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 11, page 207:
      The power of turning into an animal has this serious disadvantage that it lays you open to the chance of being wounded or even slain in your animal skin before you have the chance to put it off and scramble back into your human integument.

Usage notes

  • The object in all senses can come before or after the particle, except that personal pronouns nearly always precede the particle.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Adjective

put off (comparative more put off, superlative most put off)

  1. offended, repulsed
    The guest was quite put off by an odor.
  2. daunted or fazed
    All but the most dedicated were put off by the huge task.

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