Meaning & use
put me off
Last updated
“put me off” is a form of “put off”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
phrasephrasal verbinformal
to make someone dislike something or not want to do it
Grammar: Takes an object: put someone off something. The object can come between 'put' and 'off' or after 'off': 'put me off' or 'put off me' (less common).
Patterns
- put someone off something
- put someone off doing something
- put someone off
The smell of the fish really put me off eating seafood.
His rude comments put me off the whole idea of working with him.
Don't let one bad experience put you off trying again.
phrasephrasal verbinformal
to delay or postpone something
Grammar: Takes an object: put off something or put something off. More common in British English than American.
Patterns
- put off something
- put something off
They put off the meeting until next week.
I keep putting off my dentist appointment.
phrasephrasal verbinformal
to distract or disturb someone who is trying to concentrate
Grammar: Takes an object: put someone off. Often used in the passive: 'I was put off by the noise.'
Patterns
- put someone off
- be put off by something
The loud music put me off my game.
She was put off by the constant interruptions.
Word forms
| third person singular | puts me off |
|---|---|
| past tense | put me off |
| past participle | put me off |
| -ing form | putting me off |
Common combinations
- put me off my food
- The sight of blood put me off my food.
- put me off the idea
- The high price put me off the idea of buying it.
- put me off completely
- His constant complaining put me off completely.
- put me off doing something
- The bad weather put me off going for a walk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- discourage
- Discourage is more formal and often means to make someone less confident; 'put me off' is more about making someone lose interest.
- deter
- Deter is formal and means to make someone decide not to do something, often by threat or difficulty; 'put me off' is milder and more everyday.
- dissuade
- Dissuade means to persuade someone not to do something; 'put me off' can happen without anyone trying to persuade you.
Opposites
Word family
- put off phrasal verb
- the base form of this phrasal verb
- off-putting adjective
- unpleasant and making you dislike something
Commonly confused: put me off or put out?
put me off vs put out
'Put out' can mean to annoy or inconvenience, but it does not mean to make someone dislike something. 'Put me off' is about losing interest or appetite.
Practice
What does 'put me off' mean in the sentence: 'The terrible smell put me off my lunch'?
Choose one answer.
'Put me off my lunch' means the smell made me not want to eat. It does not mean to delay (that would be 'put off lunch') or to want more.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “put me off”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.