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

• 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

Although observing from a rural spot is ideal, people who can’t escape the city shouldn’t be put off, says Debra Ceravolo, an astrophotographer who images the sky from southern British Columbia. —Dan Falk, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2025

Encouraging firms to allocate more shares for retail investors risks putting off the foreign institutions Saudi Arabia is simultaneously trying to woo. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025

She was particularly put off when the men, citing past cases of police corruption, suggested that law enforcement might have somehow been implicated in Scott’s death. —Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

In truth, the more Madison looked around, the more she was put off investigating any further. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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