put off
๐ Pronunciation
/pสt ษf/
Stress: primary stress on verb
particle 'off' maintains full pronunciation
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | put off, puts off, putting off, put off |
| Nouns | put-off |
| Adjectives | put-off |
Limited derivational morphology compared to other phrasal verbs
๐ Phrasal Verb Structure
Base verb: putParticle: off
Transitivity: transitive
๐ Meanings
Meaning 1
to delay or postpone something
Formal equivalent: postpone, delay
ABSTRACT
“Let's put off the meeting until next week”
“Don't put it off any longer”
“She keeps putting off going to the dentist”
Meaning 2
to discourage or repel someone
Formal equivalent: discourage, deter
ABSTRACT
“The high price put me off buying it”
“His attitude puts people off”
“The smell put her off her food”
โ ๏ธ Separability Rules
Rule: SEPARABLE
Pronoun Placement
โ put it off
โ put off it
๐ก Think of it Like This
Imagine physically pushing something away from you in time or space
Memory aid: OFF = away from now (postpone) or away from me (repel)
Reflects Western linear concept of time as something you can move events along
๐ Usage Patterns
Grammatical Contexts
Imperative: “Don't put it off!”
Continuous: “I'm putting off making a decision”
Perfect: “He has put off the wedding”
Passive: “The meeting was put off”
Modal: “We should put off the party”
Question: “Why do you keep putting it off?”
Negative: “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today”
Common in:
โ ๏ธ Common Errors
โ put off itโโ put it off
Pronoun must go between verb and particle
Common for: Languages without separable phrasal verbs
High impact
โ The meeting was put off to next weekโโ The meeting was put off until next week
Wrong preposition after put off
โ I am put off with his behaviorโโ I am put off by his behavior
Wrong preposition in repel meaning
โ He puts always off thingsโโ He always puts things off
Wrong adverb placement
โ The ceremony was put offedโโ The ceremony was put off
Adding -ed to particle
๐ Register & Alternatives
Formality: neutral to informal
Single-verb alternatives
Formal: postpone, defer, deter
Neutral: delay, discourage
Informal: push back, hold off
Use phrasal verb: everyday conversation, informal business communication
Use single verb: formal writing, legal documents, academic papers
๐ Etymology
Origin: Late Middle English