Meaning trap
put off
discourage or repel
to make someone not want to do something, or to lose interest in it.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to make someone not want to do something, or to lose interest in it.
Another meaning of 'put off' is 'postpone'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
The smell of smoke really put me off eating in that restaurant.
Some people are put off by the idea of public speaking because they feel nervous in front of an audience.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: The long queue put off me.
Say: The long queue put me off.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'put me off'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Put off' is the everyday verb for losing appetite/interest; 'diminished my appetite' is clinical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
put + someone + off
- put me off
- off my food
- off the idea
- off completely
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- put off (postpone) — Another meaning of 'put off' is 'postpone'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.