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turn off

phrasal verb · turn-off noun

Formsturns off, turning off, turned off

10 meanings of turn off

Practice

  1. 1
    shut downphrasal verbtransitive
    To stop something like a light, machine, or setting from working.

    Please turn off the lights when you leave the room.

    I turned off the TV and went to bed.

    Similardisable, deactivate, stop, cut

    Oppositeenable, activate, start (entry)

    Note
  2. 2
    discouragephrasal verbtransitive
    To make someone not like something or not want to do it.

    Loud music in restaurants can turn off older customers.

    The high price turned off a lot of buyers.

    Similaralienate, repel, discourage, deter, disgust

    Oppositeattract, excite

    Note
  3. 3
    mood killernoun · turn-offidiomaticcountable
    Something that makes you lose interest or feel disgusted, especially in love or sex.

    Rude people are a big turn-off for me.

    Bad breath is a real turn-off on a date.

    Similardeterrent

    Oppositeturn-on, attraction

  4. 4
    shut downphrasal verbintransitive
    Of a machine, to stop working and go off.

    The street lights turn off at six every morning.

    My phone turned off because the battery was dead.

    Similarstop, die

    Oppositestart (entry)

  5. 5
    leave a roadphrasal verbintransitive
    To leave a road and go onto another one.

    You need to turn off right after the bridge.

    We turned off at the big red barn.

    Similarexit

  6. 6
    shut a valvephrasal verbtransitive
    To turn the handle of a faucet or pipe so that water or gas stops coming out.

    Please turn off the faucet when you are done.

    Dad turned off the water before he fixed the leak.

    Similarclose, shut

    Oppositeopen

  7. 7
    junctionnoun · turn-offcountable
    A place where you leave a bigger road, like a highway exit.

    We missed our turn-off and got lost.

    The turn-off to the beach has a big sign.

    Similarexit, turning

Less common meanings

  1. 8
    producephrasal verbarchaictransitive
    To make things, often in large numbers.

    The machine can turn off a thousand nails an hour.

    According to D. A. Wells, one boy and a machine can turn off 9,000 pair of sleeve buttons in a day.
    1895, The Dawn, volumes 7-8Here, turn off means to make or produce.
    Note
  2. 9
    fire (job)phrasal verbobsoletetransitive
    To make someone leave their job.

    The rich family turned off their cook for stealing silver.

    The farmer will turn off the new worker if he keeps sleeping late.

    Note
  3. 10
    execute by hangingphrasal verbobsoletetransitive
    To kill someone by hanging.

    The thief was turned off on the gallows at sunrise.

    The fell had not only put its cap on, it was drawn down over its white face as that other white cap, still more terrible to look upon, covers the features of the poor wretch about to be "turned off" on the gallows.
    1890, James Payn, The Burnt MillionHere, turned off means hanged, put to death on the gallows.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

From the verb turn off.