turnoff

1 of 2

noun

turn·​off ˈtərn-ˌȯf 

1

: a place where one turns off

especially : exit sense 4

2

: one that causes loss of interest or enthusiasm

the music was a turnoff

3

: a turning off

turn off

2 of 2

verb

turned off; turning off; turns off

transitive verb

1

: to stop the flow of or shut off by or as if by turning a control

turn the water off

2

: to cause to lose interest : bore

economics turns me off

also : to evoke a negative feeling in

3

a

: dismiss, discharge

b

: to dispose of : sell

4

: deflect, evade

5

: produce, accomplish

6

: hang sense 1b

7

a

: to remove (material) by the process of turning

b

: to shape or produce by turning

intransitive verb

1

: to deviate from a straight course or from a main road

turn off into a side road

2

a

British : to turn bad : spoil

b

: to change to a specified state : become

3

: to lose interest : withdraw

Synonyms

Verb

• disgust
• gross out
• nauseate
• put off
• repel
• repulse
• revolt
• sicken

Examples of turnoff in a Sentence

Noun

His strong cologne was a real turnoff.

Verb

that memorably bad meal turned me off about restaurant food for a while

turn off at the third exit and follow the ramp to your left

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Not demonstrating curiosity can be a turnoff to recruiters. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

The costs associated with newsgathering and the controversies that come with 24/7 coverage might be obvious turnoffs for a tech giant like Amazon. —Brian Stelter, CNN, 29 Sep. 2024

Verb

The detective pulled over to comply with the apparent traffic stop, but instead of getting out Becker just turned off the lights and drove past him. —Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Oct. 2024

Pocket: Keep the phone further away Merely having your phone within reach – even when it’s turned off – reduces cognitive capacity, studies have shown. —Dr. Jenny Woo, Contributor, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1564, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3a

Kids Definition

turnoff

1 of 2 noun

turn·​off ˈtər-ˌnȯf 

1

: a place where one turns off (as from a road)

2

: something that causes loss of interest or enjoyment

the music was a turnoff

turn off

2 of 2 verb

ˌtər-ˈnȯf,

ˈtər-

1

: to turn aside

turned off onto a side road

2

: to stop by or as if by turning a control

turn off the light

turn the alarm off

3

: to cause dislike or loss of interest

that sort of thing turns me off