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• put-on
  put-on

  noun

  an act or instance of putting someone on.
• put on
  put on

  verb

  to clothe oneself in

put-on

American  

[poot-on, -awn, poot-on, -awn] / ˈpʊtˌɒn, -ˌɔn, ˈpʊtˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

noun

Informal.

1. an act or instance of putting someone on.

2. a prank or pretense, especially one perpetrated or assumed in mock seriousness; hoax; spoof.

3. affected manner or behavior; pretentiousness.

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adjective

1. assumed, feigned, pretended, or disguised.

   a put-on manner that didn't fool anyone.

put on British  

verb

1. to clothe oneself in

   to put on a coat

2. (usually passive) to adopt (an attitude or feeling) insincerely

   his misery was just put on

3. to present or stage (a play, show, etc)

4. to increase or add

   she put on weight

   the batsman put on fifty runs before lunch

5. to cause (an electrical device) to function

6. (also preposition) to wager (money) on a horse race, game, etc

   he put ten pounds on the favourite

7. (also preposition) to impose as a burden or levy

   to put a tax on cars

8. cricket to cause (a bowler) to bowl

9. 1. to connect (a person) by telephone

   2. slang to mock or tease

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noun

1. a hoax or piece of mockery

2. an affected manner or mode of behaviour

put on Idioms  

1. Clothe oneself with, as in I put on my socks . [Mid-1400s]

2. Apply, activate, as in He put on the brakes . [Mid-1700s]

3. Assume affectedly, pretend to, as in He put on a British accent . This idiom is sometimes put as put it on , as in He's not really asleep; he's putting it on . [Late 1600s; late 1800s]

4. put someone on . Tease or mislead another, as in I don't believe you! You're putting me on . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

5. Add to, gain, as in Please put this on our bill , or I've put on some weight .

6. Cause to be performed, produce, as in I hear they're putting on Shakespeare this summer . [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of put-on

1855–60; adj., noun use of verb phrase put ( someone ) on

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

put-on put on

Mr. Stoll projects a slick self-confidence that seems slightly put-on, a hard crust over a more complicated personality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

To do so would seem like a silly put-on — like a weird grief pantomime.

From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2025

But he writes with sensitivity too, from painterly depictions of the Palm Desert and Salton Sea to riffs on the Talmud that suggest Cohen’s faith isn’t entirely a put-on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2023

He described the unorthodox and at times controversial comedian Andy Kaufman as “the pre-eminent put-on artist of his generation” and “a pioneering practitioner of various cultural trends long before they ever became trends.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2023

His voice was poshish but not as posh as Mum's put-on posh.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Pishko explains the story of Aaron Spencer, a 38-year-old Army veteran who was nearly put on trial for murdering a man but is now running for local sheriff.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

Just as they did two years ago, when the Rams outlasted the Bills for a 44-42 victory, the teams put on a show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

"It costs us about £750,000 to put on the event," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Dockworkers were signed off with sickness pay or put on the unemployment dole.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

I put on my long underwear, two pairs of wool socks, and then my work pants as my last layer.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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