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

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."

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."

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 notes

In 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

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postpone delay defer push back reschedule deter discourage repel turn off distract unsettle throw

Antonyms

bring forward expedite attract encourage

Related words

wait further project hold waiting throw prevent trouble

Rhymes for put off

cutoff

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.

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