put-on

[ noun poot-on, -awn; adjective poot-on, -awn ]

/ noun ˈpʊtˌɒn, -ˌɔn; adjective ˈpʊtˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

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See synonyms for put-on on Thesaurus.com

noun Informal.

an act or instance of putting someone on.

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

affected manner or behavior; pretentiousness.

adjective

assumed, feigned, pretended, or disguised: a put-on manner that didn't fool anyone.

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Origin of put-on

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use put-on in a sentence

European Hemiptera have been dealt with in numerous papers by A. Puton.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for put-on

put on

verb (tr, mainly adverb)

to clothe oneself into put on a coat

(usually passive) to adopt (an attitude or feeling) insincerelyhis misery was just put on

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

to increase or addshe put on weight; the batsman put on fifty runs before lunch

to cause (an electrical device) to function

(also preposition) to wager (money) on a horse race, game, etche put ten pounds on the favourite

(also preposition) to impose as a burden or levyto put a tax on cars

cricket to cause (a bowler) to bowl

put someone on

to connect (a person) by telephone
slang to mock or tease

noun put-on slang, mainly US and Canadian

a hoax or piece of mockery

an affected manner or mode of behaviour

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 Idioms and Phrases with put-on

put on

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

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

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]

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

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

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