put off

What does "put off" mean?

1. To postpone or delay something
2. To discourage someone or make them less interested
3. To distract someone

Examples

• Don't put off your homework until the last minute.
• The bad reviews put me off seeing that movie.
• Stop talking—you're putting me off my work.
• We had to put off the wedding due to the pandemic.
• The smell of the food really put me off.

How to use it

'Put off by' something means to be discouraged or disgusted by it. Common in discussions about procrastination.

Word order

Separable: 'put something off' or 'put off something'; 'put someone off'

Similar expressions

Opposites

Related phrasal verbs

• put on

  To place clothing or accessories on your body

• put up

  To build or erect something

• put down

  To place something on a surface

• put away

  To return something to its proper place

• put together

  To assemble something from separate parts

• put out

  To extinguish a fire or cigarette