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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

  • off-puttingly adverb

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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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Restaurant tabs are off-putting, contractors are expensive and taxes are high.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

"It's annoying, to be honest, like when we want to eat, I lose my appetite. The smell is just off-putting."

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

Keyishian’s gentle Theo is so solicitous that Sally’s abrasiveness begins to feel abusive, not to say theatrically off-putting.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

The corporatization of Vimeo was also off-putting because Vimeo’s whole image, from jump, was to be something different from the other video platforms popping up in the transition to Web 2.0.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

Actually, I found the amount of attention that I was getting to be very off-putting.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley