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

But taxpayers may have all kinds of reasons for putting off filing a tax return until a few months later—and the best part? —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

Recent surveys indicated that businesses are delaying investments and seeing revenue decline as customers put off purchases, in part due to tariffs. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025

But the Senate is keeping its options open and may still move forward with its own budget resolution, which puts off extending the Trump tax cuts and prioritizes energy and border security, a senior Republican Senate aide told The Hill. —Aris Folley, The Hill, 11 Mar. 2025

Related Stories Those taking the vows are friends of Connor (Jonah Hauer-King), who has hoped for some time to be reciting some of his own with Olivia (Zoey Deutch), a waitress who has long put off his advances and seems allergic to commitment. —Stephen Saito, Variety, 9 Mar. 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