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

Plenty of agency officials were already put off by the DOGErs, who often issued peremptory orders to meet with them and answer questions. —Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025

Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025

Seeing how Lily is at once free to choose and helplessly locked into a life course created an analytical path along which even students initially put off by the novel might find their way into it. —Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025

Amid an influx of trends, like the red pill movement, data shows that men are by and large putting off commitment for longer. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 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