put on

What does "put on" mean?

1. To place clothing or accessories on your body
2. To apply something to a surface
3. To start playing music, a video, or a show
4. To gain weight
5. To pretend to have a feeling or quality

Examples

• Put on your coat—it's cold outside.
• She put on some makeup before the meeting.
• Can you put on some music while we cook?
• He's put on a few pounds since the holidays.
• She's not really angry—she's just putting it on.

How to use it

'Put on weight' is more polite than 'get fat.' 'Put on an act/show' means to pretend. Very common daily phrasal verb.

Word order

Separable: 'put something on' or 'put on something'

Similar expressions

Opposites

Related phrasal verbs

• put off

  To postpone or delay something

• 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