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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of off-putting
Seen in this light, Chutzpah isn’t meant to be some off-putting personality quirk.
—
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Squint, and the actor’s most off-putting moves could be attributed to his commitment to the grind, which could then encourage audiences to go see the results in action.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
The lengthy literary references are a bit off-putting in an otherwise poignant story of secrets and growth by a first-time novelist.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
Baby ponders love in all its rejuvenating and off-putting shapes, sweating with a husband and father’s devotion but sometimes with a son’s pining for a closer connection with an oaklike and unreadable elder.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-putting
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Squint, and the actor’s most off-putting moves could be attributed to his commitment to the grind, which could then encourage audiences to go see the results in action.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
The lengthy literary references are a bit off-putting in an otherwise poignant story of secrets and growth by a first-time novelist.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
Baby ponders love in all its rejuvenating and off-putting shapes, sweating with a husband and father’s devotion but sometimes with a son’s pining for a closer connection with an oaklike and unreadable elder.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-putting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-putting
Adjective
-
But there was the Transformers actor, with his tattoos and pirate beard, behaving like the obnoxious guy at the bar who spoils everybody else’s night, getting into a fight, then continuing to party the next day after his high-profile arrest.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
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By and large, Kenny comes off as a nice guy, if not a smidge obnoxious.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Critics at its first press screening called the film disgusting, accusing it of exploiting both its oblivious subjects and the beloved former first lady.—
Rosemary Counter,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Just last week the president tweeted a vile and disgusting image of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and refuses to apologize.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But blackouts have become an unpleasant routine.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Standing water, combined with food residue, can create unpleasant odors.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
During the last two weeks, Sarandos got dragged into two ugly controversies.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Trump was, by now, back in office, and the issue of CNN again reared its ugly head.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Whatever’s awful right now is legit awful.—
Sarah Hepola,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Regardless of how embarrassing, personal, awful, unacceptable things are.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
At the bottom of the Olympia delle Tofane slope, in the grandstands about 2,000 feet below, there was nothing but a sickening silence after Vonn’s crash.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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The rest of us could only imagine Randall’s sickening embarrassment at needing to testify at the trial.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Both teamed up with Mike Curtis, Brad Townsend and Shawn McFarland for top 10 in event coverage, the aftermath of Luka Doncic’s shocking trade from the Mavs to the Lakers.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
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Coviello, a junior guard, recorded the first of his five assists on a 3-pointer by Kelly that started a shocking 15-0 run in the first quarter.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One of most hideous images in American poetry, and yet one of the most memorable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
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Next, law enforcement must rigorously interrogate the men and women who exchanged chummy emails with Epstein and played in his hideous sandbox.—
Amy Wallace,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-putting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-putting. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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