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Synonyms

off-putting

American  
[awf-poot-ing, of-] / ˈɔfˌpʊt ɪŋ, ˈɒf- /

adjective

  1. provoking uneasiness, dislike, annoyance, or repugnance; disturbing or disagreeable.

off-putting British  

adjective

  1. informal disconcerting or disturbing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of off-putting

1820–30; off + putting, after verb phrase put off

Explanation

If something's off-putting, it annoys or disgusts you. A waiter's bad breath might be off-putting, and the high prices on the menu might be equally off-putting. Off-putting things can seem unappealing, irritating, or downright horrifying. An off-putting movie trailer won't tempt you to see the film and an off-putting list of rules might keep you from signing up for a gym membership. In the sixteenth century, off-putting had a completely different meaning — basically "putting off," or "procrastinating." It wasn't until the late 1800s that it came to mean "creating an unfavorable impression."

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.