phrasal verb
put off
put OF
Put off (phrasal verb) means to move something to a later time, or to delay doing something you would rather not do. Example: “We had to put off the wedding until her father was out of hospital.”
phrasal verb
1
To move something to a later time, or to delay doing something you would rather not do.
"We had to put off the wedding until her father was out of hospital."
"Stop putting off that phone call."
2
To make someone lose interest in or feel distaste for something.
"The smell of the fish market put me off my lunch."
"Don't let one bad interview put you off applying."
3
chiefly British To distract someone who is trying to concentrate.
"Sorry, the crowd noise put me off my shot."
How to use put off
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo delay something, or to make someone stop wanting it.
When to use it
Neutral and very common in everyday speech.
Memory tip
"Put off" plus -ing: put off going, put off telling her.
Easily confused with
put out
put up with
put down
Common pairings
put off a decision
put off until tomorrow
put someone off their food
easily put off
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We had to _____ the wedding until her father was out of hospital.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for put off
See all rhymes for put off →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between "put off" and "put out"?
"Put off" means to postpone or to repel; "put out" means to extinguish something, to inconvenience someone, or to describe someone as annoyed. "He put off the meeting" delays it; "he was put out by the meeting" means he was irritated.
Is "put off" separable?
Yes. You can say "put off the decision" or "put the decision off", and with a pronoun the split is compulsory: "put it off", never "put off it".
What does "putting off" mean when talking about food?
It means killing your appetite. "That description put me off my dinner" means you no longer want to eat, not that you have delayed eating.
What is the meaning of put off?
"put off" (phrasal verb) means to move something to a later time, or to delay doing something you would rather not do.
