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

• defer
• delay
• hold off (on)
• hold over
• hold up
• lay over
• postpone
• put over
• remit
• shelve

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

The largest conflagrations put off an intense heat, unbearable from even 50-feet away. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

But, as Modi shares, starting a company that didn’t have pure profit at heart put off some investors. —Natasha Pearlman, Glamour, 2 Jan. 2025

Each year, a dozen or so players from every team put off surgeries into January to address in-season injuries, and many miss traditional spring football. —Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024

Their efforts put off the fall of the western empire for centuries. —Jeffrey E. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

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