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

Poppe said the company was putting off $2 billion in work — not for wildfire mitigation or safety, but for housing developments, renewable energy projects and other efforts. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Diana and Lana’s trip was put off due to the death of Marks’s father in South Africa at the end of July. — Allie Merriam, Vanity Fair, 1 Sep. 2026

The decision suggests the companies believe that foreign investors remain wary of putting new money into the kingdom’s stock exchange, and will likely put off other firms planning IPOs in the short term. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026

The decision to put off the NFL for a year was massive for the Bulldogs. — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 22 Aug. 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