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

Administrators report that many students are now afraid of having sociology classes on their transcripts, as this may put off potential employers. —Wendy Nelson Espeland, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026

This unique point of view has won plaudits from those watching NBC‘s broadcast, even though a few fans have been put off by the trackers’ incessant zipping noise. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 11 Feb. 2026

Far from being put off by his preening son, Archie encouraged his quirkiness. —Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 9 Feb. 2026

She was put off by changes in the industry such as the profusion of video-only auditions. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 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