turn off
2 meanings
stop a machine, light, or water from working
What does "turn off" mean in this sense?
Examples
- Don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave.
- She turned the engine off and got out of the car.
- Have you turned your phone off for the meeting?
How to use it
The most common form — place the object (a noun) directly after the particle.
Please turn off the oven when you finish cooking.
With short noun objects, it is very natural to put the object between the verb and the particle.
She turned the TV off and went to bed.
When the object is a pronoun (it, them), it must always go between the verb and the particle — never after "off".
The lights are still on — can you turn them off?
The passive form is very natural, especially in instructions, signs, and notices.
All computers must be turned off before you leave the office.
Use this pattern to describe something that stops working by itself at a set time.
The heating turns off automatically at 10 p.m.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When you use a pronoun like "it" or "them", it must go between "turn" and "off", not after "off". Saying "turn off it" is never correct in English.
Both can mean stopping a supply like gas or water, but "shut off" sounds more natural for cutting a supply, while "turn off" is also used for everyday devices like lights and TVs. Use "turn off" when you are not sure — it works in almost all situations.
Usage
This is a neutral, everyday phrasal verb used in both British and American English. It is interchangeable with 'switch off' in most situations, though 'switch off' sounds slightly more British.
make someone feel disgusted or lose interest
Sense 2: What does "turn sb off" mean?
Examples
- His constant bragging completely turned her off.
- Poor customer service turns off potential buyers before they even reach the checkout.
- A lot of voters were turned off by the candidate's aggressive tone during the debate.
How to use it
The most common active pattern: the repellent thing is the subject, and the person being repelled is the object.
His habit of interrupting people turned off everyone at the table.
When the object is a pronoun, it must always go between 'turn' and 'off' — never after the particle.
The aggressive sales pitch completely turned us off.
The passive form is very natural and useful for focusing on the person who feels repelled and what caused it.
Many shoppers are turned off by overly complicated return policies.
With longer noun phrases as the object, the object typically stays after 'off' rather than splitting the phrasal verb.
The outdated website design turned off potential customers who expected something modern.
Used in infinitive constructions to express that something reaches the threshold needed to cause repulsion.
One dismissive comment was enough to turn off the entire audience.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
The thing causing the bad feeling is the subject, not the person experiencing it. Learners often mistakenly make the repelled person the subject.
Pronoun objects must always go between 'turn' and 'off'. Placing a pronoun after 'off' is ungrammatical in English.
'Put off' can also mean to postpone something or to discourage someone, so it covers broader ground. 'Turn off' is specifically about causing a feeling of repulsion or killing attraction — if you can substitute 'repel', 'turn off' is the right choice.
Usage
This sense is informal and mainly spoken or used in casual writing like reviews or social media. The noun form 'a turn-off' is also very common and useful to know.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "turn off" have no object, like "the lights turned off"?
Yes! You can use "turn off" without a direct object when something stops by itself. For example, "The alarm turned off after a few seconds" is perfectly natural. This happens a lot when describing automatic systems or timers.
Does "turn off" always mean stopping a device? I saw it used differently.
This sense is specifically about stopping a device, appliance, or supply. "Turn off" can also have a completely different meaning in other contexts, but the page here focuses only on this one. If the sentence involves a device, appliance, or supply, you are looking at the right meaning.
Is "turn off" or "switch off" better to use?
Both mean exactly the same thing for devices and appliances, and both are correct. "Turn off" is a little more common overall and is used equally in British and American English, so it is the safer choice if you are not sure which to use.
Can I say "I am turning off the lights" or is that wrong?
It is grammatically correct, but simple forms sound more natural in most situations — for example, "Turn off the lights" or "She turned off the lights". The continuous form is not wrong, but you will not hear it as often.
Does 'turn off' always refer to romantic attraction?
No — while it's very common in romantic contexts, 'turn off' works in any situation where something kills interest or goodwill. A product's high price can turn off customers, a politician's tone can turn off voters, and a restaurant's smell can turn off diners before they even sit down.
Can I use 'turn off' in the passive?
Yes, the passive is actually very common with this sense. The pattern 'be turned off by + cause' is a natural and frequent way to describe repulsion — for example, 'She was totally turned off by his dismissive attitude.' It's a useful structure because it lets you focus on the person who feels repelled.
Is there a noun form I can use?
Yes — 'a turn-off' is a very common noun that native speakers use in the same contexts. For example, 'Bad hygiene is a total turn-off' or 'The price was a real turn-off for most buyers.' It's just as informal as the phrasal verb itself.
Can I add adverbs like 'completely' or 'totally'?
Absolutely — intensifiers like 'completely', 'totally', and 'instantly' are very natural with this phrasal verb and make it sound more fluent. You can place them before 'turned off' in a passive ('completely turned off by') or between the object and 'off' in an active sentence ('turned them completely off'), though the second position sounds slightly more informal.
Is 'turn off' used the same way in American and British English?
Yes, this sense is widely used in both varieties without any significant difference in meaning. It's common in informal speech and casual writing on both sides of the Atlantic, particularly in conversations about dating, consumer behaviour, and politics.
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