turn off

British  

verb

1. to leave (a road, pathway, etc)

2. (of a road, pathway, etc) to deviate from (another road, etc)

3. (tr, adverb) to cause (something) to cease operating by turning a knob, pushing a button, etc

   to turn off the radio

4. informal (tr) to cause (a person, etc) to feel dislike or distaste for (something)

   this music turns me off

5. informal (tr, adverb) to dismiss from employment

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noun

1. a road or other way branching off from the main thoroughfare

2. informal a person or thing that elicits dislike or distaste

turn off Idioms  

1. Stop the operation, activity, or flow of; shut off, as in Turn off the lights when you leave . [Mid-1800s]

2. Affect with dislike, revulsion, or boredom; cause to lose interest. For example, That vulgar comedian turned us off completely , or The movie was all right for an hour or so, but then I was turned off . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

I had to turn off automatic Pittsburgh Penguins updates during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, because the Sports app was repeatedly sharing developments before I saw them on my streaming package.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

Major AI assistants let users turn off memory entirely, and each offers some way to view, edit or delete what’s been stored.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

That’s easier said than done — and if ignoring the market’s volatility is impossible, you should turn off the financial news altogether.

From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026

"You can't just turn off the taps and expect these jobs to appear magically in renewables."

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

“Should I turn off the light?” she asks.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Related Words

• alienate
• bore
• irritate
• offend