off-putting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- off-puttingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of off-putting
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."
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
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.
