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1
wearto dress yourself in a piece of clothing
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2
gain weightto become heavier, especially by gaining a stated amount of weight
All meanings, in depth
Ordered by how often you'll hear each one — the meaning tells you what it does, the examples and tips show it in use.
1
B1put on sthspokenMost common
to dress yourself in a piece of clothing
Put on a jacket, it's cold outside.
A: Are you ready?
B: Almost. Let me put on my shoes.
On a normal morning I just put on whatever is comfortable and head to work.
Common mistake
✗I'm wearing my shoes, give me a second.
✓I'm putting my shoes on, give me a second.
'Put on' = the action of dressing; 'wear' = the state of having it on. You put on a coat, then you wear it.
Tell it apart
Put on a jacket.
the action of dressingI'm wearing a jacket.
the state — already onEveryday vocabulary for clothes and routines.The action of dressing, not the long-term state (wear).
Often paired with
put on + clothing
to become heavier, especially by gaining a stated amount of weight
I put on a bit of weight over the holidays.
A: You look well!
B: Thanks — I've actually put on a few kilos since I stopped running.
A lot of people put on weight in winter because they exercise less and eat heavier food.
Common mistake
✗I put up some weight recently.
✓I put on some weight recently.
It's 'put ON weight', not 'put up'. The opposite is 'lose weight'.
Tell it apart
I've put on a few kilos.
gained weightI'll put on my coat.
get dressed in itUseful for health and lifestyle topics. The opposite is lose weight.About body weight, not about getting dressed.
Often paired with
put on + weight
Turn this into speaking practice
Practise one meaning at a time and save the ones you mix up for review.