Phrasal verb
Put off
What does 'put off' mean?
'Put off' primarily means to delay an action or event until a later time. It also means to cause someone to lose interest, enthusiasm, or appetite. In a secondary sense, it can mean to distract someone while they are trying to concentrate.
Key points
- Check whether the sentence discusses a change of schedule or a change of feeling.
- Use 'put it off' to delay a task, followed by an -ing verb for delayed actions.
- Use 'put someone off' when an unpleasant detail or high cost reduces interest, or when noise breaks someone's focus.
Can you use "Put off" yourself?
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
Examples
We decided to put off the car repair until next month.
Why it works: 'Put off' means delay the car repair to a later date.
2 more examples
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The high ticket price put me off the trip.
'Put me off' means the price made me lose interest.
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Do not put off asking your manager for feedback.
The verb after 'put off' takes the -ing form.
Read the full guide
Decide whether 'put off' means doing something later or losing interest
The verb 'put' combines with 'off' to express two distinct ideas in everyday English. It can describe moving a planned event to a later time, or it can describe losing interest and enthusiasm because of an unpleasant feature. Notice how two friends use the phrase while choosing a community swimming class: Elena: 'Are you ready to sign up for that intermediate swimming class tonight?' Marco: 'My manager just assigned me a big project at work, so I need to put off booking until next week.' Elena: 'Honestly, the eighty-pound registration fee put me off the class completely. That is far too expensive for six sessions.' Marco is postponing his booking until his busy week ends, whereas Elena lost interest because the class is overpriced.
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Marco wants to put off booking until next week.
Why it works: Marco delays booking the swimming class because of his busy work schedule.
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The eighty-pound registration fee put Elena off the class.
Why it works: The high price caused Elena to lose interest in taking the class.
Your turn
In the dialogue, why does Elena say the registration fee 'put me off'?
Answer: The high cost made her lose enthusiasm for joining the class.
Show the answer
Answer: The high cost made her lose enthusiasm for joining the class.
Elena uses 'put me off' to explain that the high price discouraged her and caused her to lose interest in the swimming class.
Use 'put off' for a delay, not a cancellation
Putting an event off means delaying it until later, even if you have not chosen a new date. Canceling means that it will not take place as planned. You might arrange another event later. Use 'until' for the new time, as in 'put the visit off until next week'. Use 'for' for the length of the delay, as in 'put the visit off for a week'. Postponement leaves the plan open, but does not guarantee it will happen.
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They put off the inspection for three days.
Why it works: 'For three days' shows the duration of the delay.
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The committee put off the vote until next month.
Why it works: 'Until next month' identifies the later time when the vote will happen.
This also comes up in Catch up and To not lift a finger.
Your turn
Which sentence gives a later date for a postponed event?
Answer: We put off the workshop until Tuesday to allow more time for registration.
Show the answer
Answer: We put off the workshop until Tuesday to allow more time for registration.
'Put off ... until Tuesday' gives the new date for the workshop. The other sentences cancel or remove the planned event without giving a new date.
Place 'it' between 'put' and 'off'
Word order depends on whether you use a full noun or a pronoun. When you use a full noun phrase to name the delayed event, you have two choices. You can say 'we put off the appointment' or 'we put the appointment off'. Both options are natural and correct. However, when you replace the noun with a pronoun such as 'it' or 'them', the pronoun must go in the middle. You say 'we put it off', never 'we put off it'. Placing an unstressed pronoun after 'off' breaks standard English word order rules for separable phrasal verbs. Always keep unstressed object pronouns directly between the verb and the particle.
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The report is not finished, so we put it off.
Why it works: The pronoun 'it' sits between 'put' and 'off'.
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We put off the team interview until Friday morning.
Why it works: The full noun phrase 'the team interview' can follow 'off'.
Your turn
A colleague asks if you completed the weekly report. You postponed it. Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Answer: I had too many emails, so I put it off.
Show the answer
Answer: I had too many emails, so I put it off.
Pronouns like 'it' must go directly between 'put' and 'off'. 'Put off it' is incorrect.
Use 'put off doing' for an action you delay
When you put off an activity, use its -ing form. Say 'I put off joining the class' or 'She puts off cleaning her desk'. The form 'I put off to join' does not fit this meaning. Use put off plus the -ing form for the action you are delaying.
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Sam put off filing his tax documents.
Why it works: 'Filing' uses the -ing form after 'put off'.
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I put off joining the swimming club until summer.
Why it works: 'Joining' is the delayed action, contrasting with the incorrect 'put off to join'.
Your turn
Which sentence uses the correct verb pattern after 'put off'?
Answer: We put off scheduling the annual safety review.
Show the answer
Answer: We put off scheduling the annual safety review.
Actions following 'put off' take the -ing form ('scheduling'), never the infinitive ('to schedule') or base form ('schedule').
Use 'put someone off' when something discourages or distracts them
When an unpleasant feature discourages someone, English uses patterns such as 'something puts someone off something' or 'something puts someone off doing something'. For example, you can say 'The price put me off the class' or 'The price put me off joining'. If the context is already obvious, you can omit the final activity and simply say 'The price put me off'. Object pronouns like 'me' or 'us' must sit directly between 'put' and 'off'. However, full person noun phrases do not always need to precede 'off': sentences like 'The price put off some customers' are entirely natural when no following activity is stated. This meaning extends naturally to loss of appetite or dislike, as in 'The smell put me off my meal'. In addition, in a quiet work setting, 'put someone off' can mean breaking concentration: 'Please stop tapping; you are putting me off'.
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The high ticket price put off some customers.
Why it works: A full person noun phrase like 'some customers' can follow 'off' when no following action is stated.
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The sour milk put me off breakfast.
Why it works: 'Put me off' describes losing appetite or enthusiasm.
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Please stop tapping your pen; you are putting me off.
Why it works: 'Putting me off' in a quiet study space means breaking someone's concentration.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly places a full person noun phrase after 'off' to describe lost interest?
Answer: The steep registration fee put off several interested students.
Show the answer
Answer: The steep registration fee put off several interested students.
Full person noun phrases like 'several interested students' can naturally follow 'off' when no subsequent action is stated, while pronouns must go between 'put' and 'off'.
Correct 'put off it', 'putted off' and 'put off to do'
Learners often make three predictable errors with this phrase. The first is placing an object pronoun after the particle, creating 'put off it' instead of 'put it off'. The second is adding '-ed' to create 'putted'. The verb 'put' is irregular, with identical base, past, and past participle forms: put, puts, putting, and put. In questions and negatives, the auxiliary verb carries the past tense: say 'Did you put it off?' and 'We didn't put it off'. The third mistake is using an infinitive, as in 'put off to do' instead of 'put off doing'. Keep in mind that 'put off' is natural in everyday speech and informal writing. The formal verb 'postpone' replaces 'put off' only for calendar delays, never for discouragement or distraction.
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Did you put off answering that customer email?
Why it works: Use the auxiliary 'did' for questions, base form 'put', and the -ing verb 'answering'.
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We didn't put it off, but we finished late.
Why it works: Negative past form uses 'didn't put' and keeps the pronoun 'it' in the middle.
Your turn
Identify the sentence that contains no grammatical mistakes.
Answer: He knew he should fix the fence, but he put it off.
Show the answer
Answer: He knew he should fix the fence, but he put it off.
'Put it off' correctly places the pronoun in the middle and avoids the nonstandard forms 'putted' and 'put off to study'.
Hear 'put off', 'put it off' and 'put me off' in connected speech
In natural conversation, native speakers rarely release the /t/ sound in isolation. When followed by 'off', the /t/ at the end of 'put' links directly to the vowel sound, making 'put off' sound like one connected unit. In 'put it off', the final /t/ of 'it' joins 'off', while the first /t/ may become a light tap in American speech. Unstressed pronouns like 'it', 'me', and 'them' receive very little volume. Rely on the sentence context to confirm whether you hear 'put off' (delay or discourage) rather than 'put on' (wear or stage an event). Listening for the weak pronoun between 'put' and 'off' will help you distinguish a personal reaction from a simple scheduling change.
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I could not put it off any longer.
Why it works: In fast speech, 'put it off' sounds like one continuous rhythm unit.
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His rude tone put me off immediately.
Why it works: 'Put me off' has a brief, unstressed pronoun between 'put' and 'off'.
Your turn
Why can 'put it off' be difficult to hear clearly in fast spoken English?
Answer: The unstressed pronoun 'it' is very brief and links its sound to 'off'.
Show the answer
Answer: The unstressed pronoun 'it' is very brief and links its sound to 'off'.
In connected speech, unstressed pronouns are short and weak, and the surrounding consonant sounds link across word boundaries.
Recall the right pattern to explain a delay or a change of interest
To consolidate everything you have learned about 'put off', complete this four-step retrieval practice. Testing your memory helps you distinguish delay from discouragement, position pronouns accurately, avoid nonstandard infinitive patterns, and generate original sentences for daily conversations. Work through each exercise below before reviewing the provided answers and model sentences.
Step 1 (Meaning identification): In the sentence 'The constant rain put us off camping this weekend', does 'put off' indicate a calendar delay or a loss of interest? Answer: Loss of interest or discouragement. Step 2 (Noun-to-pronoun replacement): Rewrite 'We put off the home inspection' replacing the noun phrase with the pronoun 'it'. Answer: 'We put it off' (the pronoun must sit directly between 'put' and 'off'). Step 3 (Pattern correction): Identify and fix the grammatical error in 'He put off to submit his application'. Answer: 'He put off submitting his application' ('put off' takes the -ing verb form, never the infinitive with 'to'). Step 4 (Drafting original sentences): Write two personal sentences using different meanings of 'put off'. Model answer 1 (delaying an action): 'I put off washing the dishes until morning.' Model answer 2 (losing enthusiasm): 'The high ticket price put me off attending the concert.'
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Model 1: I put off washing the dishes until morning.
Why it works: Postponing an action: 'put off' + -ing verb + time expression.
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Model 2: The high ticket price put me off attending the concert.
Why it works: Discouragement: subject + 'put' + person pronoun + 'off' + -ing verb.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly applies the pronoun placement and verb pattern practiced in the retrieval exercises?
Answer: I had an important essay due, but I put it off by organizing my room.
Show the answer
Answer: I had an important essay due, but I put it off by organizing my room.
'Put it off' correctly places the pronoun between 'put' and 'off', whereas 'put off it' and 'put off to write' violate standard grammatical patterns.
Use it naturally
How people really use “put off”
Neutral Fine almost anywhere, at work or with friends.
Words it often goes with
- put off a meetingWe may need to put off a meeting because two team members are sick.
- put off making a decisionYou can put off making a decision until you have more information.
- put off buyingI want to put off buying a new phone until prices drop.
What people also say
- “Let's put it off.” instead of “Let's do it at a later point in time.” This is a shorter, everyday way to suggest a delay.
Questions about "Put off"
What does 'put off' mean?
In daily English, 'put off' usually indicates moving an appointment or task to a later date. It also describes when an unpleasant detail causes someone to lose interest, motivation, or an appetite. Less commonly, people use it to say that an interruption broke their concentration.
We had to put off our trip until next month.
The bitter taste put me off the dessert.
Do I say 'put it off' or 'put off it'?
Always say 'put it off'. Pronouns like 'it', 'me', and 'them' cannot sit after the particle 'off'. They must be placed directly between 'put' and 'off'. In contrast, full nouns like 'the meeting' can appear either in the middle or at the end.
The task looked difficult, so I put it off.
If the files are not ready, we will put them off.
Is putting something off the same as cancelling it?
No. Putting something off means delaying it until later, even if you have not chosen a new date. Canceling means that the event will not take place as planned. A canceled event may be arranged again later, but the word cancel does not promise that.
We did not cancel the workshop; we only put it off until Friday.
The flight was cancelled, so we could not put it off.
Can I say 'put off to do something'?
No, never use an infinitive with 'to' after this phrasal verb. When you delay an activity, use an -ing verb form: 'put off doing', 'put off calling', or 'put off writing'. Using 'to' after 'put off' is a common grammatical mistake.
Do not put off renewing your passport.
He puts off cleaning his apartment every weekend.
What does 'that put me off' mean?
This expression means that a specific detail or event caused you to lose interest, enthusiasm, or appetite. For instance, an expensive ticket price, an unpleasant odor, or a rude remark can put you off a plan or place.
I liked the apartment, but the noisy street put me off.
The dirty tables put me off eating at that restaurant.
What is the past tense of 'put off'?
The past simple form is identical: 'put off'. Because 'put' is an irregular verb whose forms do not change, never say 'putted'. For past negative statements and questions, use 'did not put off' or 'Did you put off?'.
Yesterday they put off the decision until next week.
We didn't put off the appointment.
Before you go
Remember this
Check whether the sentence discusses a change of schedule or a change of feeling. Use 'put it off' to delay a task, followed by an -ing verb for delayed actions. Use 'put someone off' when an unpleasant detail or high cost reduces interest, or when noise breaks someone's focus.
Stage 2 of 5
Listen
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- The high ticket price put me off the trip.
- Do not put off asking your manager for feedback.
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- The high ticket price put me off the trip.
- Do not put off asking your manager for feedback.
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Listening 3 of 4
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- The high ticket price put me off the trip.
- Do not put off asking your manager for feedback.
This clip is longer. Follow the instruction above the answer field.
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- The high ticket price put me off the trip.
- Do not put off asking your manager for feedback.
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Save my progressStage 3 of 5
Speak
Say it with the speaker, then use it in your own answer.
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Your turn
Say it your way
Speak for 30 to 60 seconds from memory. Imagine you are answering questions in a team quiz. People nearby keep calling out while you think. Explain how this affects you, ask them to stop, and suggest how they can support you.
Use: putting me off
Take ten seconds to think, then answer out loud without looking at the lesson. Speak for the time shown in the task above. Nothing is sent unless you ask for feedback.
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Hear how someone else might say it
I'm trying to answer the last question in our team quiz, but everyone is shouting different answers. You're putting me off, and I can't remember something I knew a minute ago. Could you please give me a few seconds to think? I know you want to help, but it's hard to listen to several people at once. If you have an idea, please write it down and show me. That would help a lot. We still have enough time, so we can stay calm and work together.
Try once more and answer this: Which question was hardest to answer?
Stage 4 of 5
Write
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Write
Put it in your own words
- I used “put off”.
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