put off

verb

put off; putting off; puts off

transitive verb

1

a

: disconcert

b

: repel

2

a

: to hold back to a later time

b

: to induce to wait

put the bill collector off

3

: to rid oneself of : take off

4

: to sell or pass fraudulently

Synonyms of put off

• postpone
• delay
• put over
• defer

Examples of put off in a Sentence

never put off until tomorrow what you can do today

put off your coat and stay awhile

Recent Examples on the Web

Immediately after last year’s NFL draft, in which the Rams came away with two first-round picks in 2026, coach Sean McVay put off any hint of anticipation about how the team might leverage their bounty in this year’s draft. —Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

Particularly, Kachka said, Ukraine is willing to put off receiving subsidies from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP, for several years in an attempt to ease concerns over one of the bloc’s largest and most politically sensitive programs. —Oliver Crook, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026

Beyond seeking to reduce emissions, the push is part of efforts to court younger consumers who, Simmons noted, were put off by the environmental impact of eating meat as well as concerns surrounding animal welfare. —Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Toss expired fridge items — a task most people put off indefinitely. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for put off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

put off

verb

1

: to cause negative feelings in

your sloppy appearance put them off

2

: to hold back to a later time : defer

put off my visit to the dentist

3

: to rid oneself of

put off your coat