as in obnoxious
not pleasing or likable; causing you to feel dislike of someone or something
He has an off-putting manner. The restaurant's garish décor was off-putting.
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Recent Examples of off-putting
Networking is the common name for this process, although that term (and the practice) can sometimes feel off-putting to the very people who need to do it.
—
Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2025
And then there's his relatively youthful age of 34 - which was part of his appeal for young voters, but more off-putting to chief executives who may be decades older.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Vecna looks to the sky as a particularly off-putting tentacle emerges and attaches to Will’s mouth, pumping an unknown substance into his body.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
With off-putting brusqueness, the acupuncturist sticks needles into my head and left leg, leaves the room—and appears to forget all about me.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-putting
Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2025
And then there's his relatively youthful age of 34 - which was part of his appeal for young voters, but more off-putting to chief executives who may be decades older.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Vecna looks to the sky as a particularly off-putting tentacle emerges and attaches to Will’s mouth, pumping an unknown substance into his body.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
With off-putting brusqueness, the acupuncturist sticks needles into my head and left leg, leaves the room—and appears to forget all about me.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-putting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-putting
Adjective
-
So how will Stevie, who shares a bedroom with her obnoxious little brother, Elliot (Elias Janssen), keep the family together?—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Various new characters join in on the fun, including Chris Elliott’s Riff Raff-style butler and Tori Spelling’s obnoxious try-hard friend, Alex.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
By modern standards, kind of disgusting.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But stepping into that closet was really disgusting.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Using a speaker outside the stall results in reverb and echoing as the music bounces around the bathroom walls, making the sound muddy and unpleasant.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Given the lack of gravity, even a runny nose can turn into an extremely unpleasant experience, forcing astronauts to resort to unusual measures just to drain mucus from their nasal passages.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Sure, coach Mike Tomlin's teams tend to win ugly games, but not in the playoffs — at least not lately.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Hoosiers, of course, are the prime example of a longtime awful football program rising to the top.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Mamdani hasn’t had time yet to flesh out his awful, socialist ideas into real policies that adversely affect New Yorkers.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Up north, hundreds of sea lions have been found on beaches in recent months suffering from a bacterial condition that is sickening and killing younger sea lions by attacking their kidneys, said John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles in San Pedro.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Winter is coming, and no amount of Narcan can solve this sickening public health crisis.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The shocking decision sends ripples through the Washington program and the college football transfer portal.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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There are some great twists and turns leading to a shocking but very satisfying ending.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Such jars of moldy fruit were probably fairly hideous to consume.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
17 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Off-putting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-putting. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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