Meaning trap

put off

postpone

to delay doing something until a later time.

phrasal verbB1common

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

postpone

to delay doing something until a later time.

put off (discourage or repel)

Another meaning of 'put off' is 'discourage or repel'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

I had to put off my dentist appointment because I was too busy.daily life
If I have a lot of tasks, I sometimes put off the less important ones to focus on urgent work.IELTS speaking

Pattern: put off + noun/gerund

WrongDon't put off to do your homework.

RightDon't put off doing your homework.

'Put off' + -ing, not a to-infinitive. With a pronoun: 'put it off'.

Patternput off + noun/gerund

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff We have decided to postpone the meeting until a later date.

Natural We've put the meeting off till next week.

'Put off' is the everyday verb for postponing; 'postpone until a later date' is fine in writing but stiff in speech.

Words that usually travel with it.

Do not confuse with 'call off', which means to cancel.

put off (discourage or repel) — Another meaning of 'put off' is 'discourage or repel'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.