off-putting

adjective

off-put·​ting ˈȯf-ˌpu̇-tiŋ How to pronounce off-putting (audio)
: that puts one off : repellent, disconcerting
an off-putting attitude
off-puttingly adverb

Examples of off-putting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One of the threads that runs through Hoberman’s book is the key role played by critics in creating audiences for obscure or off-putting work. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 June 2025 Washing up creates a creamy lather that isn’t slimy or off-putting, but really coats the hair and makes an impact. Kayla Blanton, People.com, 5 June 2025 No at a Time Game, Sets, Match: 'The Queen’s Gambit' Spurs Millions to Check Out Chess, Buy Boards The first season primarily covers a single case: the disappearance of Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), a local prosecutor who’s just as off-putting in her own way as Carl. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025 Read: An unlikely model for male friendship Friendship often plays like a horror movie; the director, Andrew DeYoung, deploys techniques that shroud the story in suspense: dramatic cinematography, slow zooms, an off-putting lo-fi score. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for off-putting

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-putting was in 1935

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Cite this Entry

“Off-putting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-putting. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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