put off
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/pʊt ˈɒf/
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To move something later, delay a person, break concentration, discourage interest, or in British transport use let a passenger get out.
Examples
- Do not put off the speaker with side comments.
- Her rude answer put him off asking again.
- Background music puts me off when I am reading.
- He was put off at a small village on the route.
- They put the wedding off until September.
Similar words
disturb
delay
set down
deter
stall
divert
disincline
discourage
unsettle
postpone
Meanings
Usage
Use put off for moving something later, especially an arrangement, duty, or decision.
Examples
- We had to put off the meeting until next week.
- She keeps putting off making a decision.
- The launch was put off after the test failed.
- Do not put off booking the tickets for too long.
- They put the wedding off until September.
- I have put off going to the dentist again.
- The board put off the vote until more figures arrived.
Common mistakes
The object is placed awkwardly when it is a pronoun, or the past form is changed even though put stays the same.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| We put off it until Friday.
| We put it off until Friday.
|
| She putted off the appointment.
| She put off the appointment.
|
| He put off to call the client.
| He put off calling the client.
|
Similar words
postpone
delay
defer
reschedule
adjourn
shelve
table
Usage
Use put off with a person when the point is delaying them rather than changing the date of an event.
Examples
- The reporter wanted a comment, but the office put him off until Monday.
- I do not want to see them tonight, so I might put them off.
- She put off the caller with a promise to ring back.
- He kept putting her off instead of answering the question.
- The company put off customers who asked for refunds.
- Do not put me off with another vague excuse.
- They tried to put the landlord off for a few more days.
Common mistakes
The person being delayed is left out, or the phrase is confused with put up with.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| He keeps asking for an answer, and I keep putting off.
| He keeps asking for an answer, and I keep putting him off.
|
| She put off with him for another week.
| She put him off for another week.
|
| I cannot put off his rudeness any longer.
| I cannot put up with his rudeness any longer.
|
Similar words
stall
delay
fob off
defer
stonewall
Usage
Use put off for a distraction that unsettles concentration, often with the person between put and off.
Examples
- Please stop talking because you are putting me off.
- The sudden shout put her off her stride.
- Nothing can put him off once he starts working.
- The flash from the camera put off the goalkeeper.
- Background music puts me off when I am reading.
- Do not put off the speaker with side comments.
- The mistake put her off for the rest of the performance.
Common mistakes
The object is put after off even though this sense normally keeps the person in the middle.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The noise put off me during the exam.
| The noise put me off during the exam.
|
| Stop laughing because you are putting off me.
| Stop laughing because you are putting me off.
|
| The camera flash put off the player his game.
| The camera flash put the player off his game.
|
Similar words
distract
disturb
unsettle
sidetrack
divert
Usage
Use put off when a detail, experience, or warning changes someone's feeling about a person, thing, or activity.
Examples
- The smell put me off the soup.
- Do not be put off by the old paint because the house is solid.
- Her rude answer put him off asking again.
- The long hours put off many applicants.
- That first lesson almost put me off driving.
- The price may put off some customers.
- A single bad review should not put you off the film.
Common mistakes
The thing disliked is treated as the subject, or put off is confused with simply refusing something.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The restaurant put off after the bad service.
| The bad service put me off the restaurant.
|
| I put off the offer because it was too expensive.
| I turned down the offer because it was too expensive.
|
| His attitude put off me him.
| His attitude put me off him.
|
Similar words
discourage
deter
repel
disgust
alienate
disincline
Usage
Use put off for this transport sense only where British English allows it, and name the passenger or stop clearly.
Examples
- The bus driver put me off outside the station.
- Could you put us off at the next stop?
- The coach put off the hikers near the trail.
- She asked the driver to put her off by the bridge.
- The minibus put them off at the hotel entrance.
- He was put off at a small village on the route.
- The driver refused to put off passengers between stops.
Common mistakes
The transport sense is used where broader English would normally use drop off or let out.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The taxi put off at the corner.
| The taxi put me off at the corner.
|
| Please put off the station.
| Please put me off at the station.
|
| The train put off all day because of snow.
| The train was delayed all day because of snow.
|
Usage
Use put off with the object pattern that matches the sense, especially put it off for postponement and put me off for distraction or dislike.
Common mistakes
Put off it is wrong for a pronoun object, and put off me is awkward in the distraction and dislike senses.
FAQ
Put off can mean postpone something, delay a person, distract someone, make someone dislike something, or let a passenger out in British English.
Is put off the same as postpone?
Put off means postpone when the object is an event, task, or decision, as in put off the meeting.
Can put off mean make someone dislike something?
Yes. A bad smell, rude attitude, or poor experience can put someone off a thing, person, or activity.
What is the correct order with pronouns in put off?
Put the pronoun in the middle: put it off, put me off, and put them off.
What is the past tense of put off?
The past tense is put off, because put does not change form.
Can put off mean distract?
Yes. Noise, laughter, or pressure can put someone off when they are trying to concentrate.
What are synonyms of put off?
For postponing, use postpone, delay, or defer. For dislike, use discourage, deter, or repel.
Is put off formal or informal?
Put off is neutral and common in everyday English, while defer or postpone can sound more formal.
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