put it off
英 /pʊt ɪt ɒf/美 /pʊt ɪt ɔf/
v. 动词(短语)
推迟,拖延;使反感,使失去兴趣
词义解析
put off 的核心含义是「推迟、拖延」,指将某事安排到更晚的时间。本义源于物理上「把某物移开」的动作,引申为时间上的「移开」,即延后。例如:They put off the meeting until next week. 由此引申出「使反感、使失去兴趣」的含义,因为当某人被「推开」时,会产生疏远感。例如:His bad manners put me off. 两个义项看似不同,实则都包含「拉开距离」的意象。
字源分析
put 源自古英语 putian,意为「推、放」;off 源自古英语 of,表示「离开、分离」。二者组合,字面义为「把…推开」,后引申为「推迟」。记忆时可联想:把一件事「推」到「离」现在更远的时间点,就是「推迟」;把一个人「推」得「离」你远些,就是「使反感」。
常见语境
put off 在口语和日常书面语中均常见。日常口语中,常用来表示个人计划或约会的推迟,语气随意,如:I put off doing my homework. 在商务邮件中,用于正式通知延期,语气中性,如:The meeting has been put off until Friday. 在新闻报道中,也用于报道事件延期,如:The game was put off due to rain. 在文学作品或正式写作中,较少使用,但「使反感」义项可出现在心理描写中,如:His arrogance put her off. 不同场景下,该词均保持「推迟」或「使反感」的基本含义,但语气随语境从随意到正式变化。
用法须知
put off 是及物动词短语,宾语可以是名词、代词或动名词。若宾语为代词,须放在 put 和 off 之间,如:put it off,而非 put off it。后接动名词时,表示「推迟做某事」,如:put off doing the work。易错点:不要与 put on(穿上)混淆;注意区分 put off 和 postpone,后者更正式。
同义词区别
put off 与 postpone、delay、defer 近义。postpone 最正式,常用于官方或计划性延期,如:The meeting was postponed. delay 强调因客观原因而延迟,可能带有负面意味,如:The flight was delayed due to fog. defer 较正式,常指有意推迟到将来,如:defer payment. put off 则更口语化,且含主动拖延之意,如:Stop putting off your homework. 在「使反感」义项上,与 repel、turn off 近义,但 put off 更温和,turn off 更口语化。
易错提醒
put off 语域偏中性,口语和书面语均可用,但正式场合更推荐 postpone 或 defer。无显著褒贬色彩,但在「拖延」义项上,若指个人习惯,略带贬义,如:He kept putting off his duties. 常见误用:将代词宾语置于 off 之后(如 put off it),或将动名词误用为不定式(如 put off to do)。注意区分 put off 和 put out(熄灭、使不便)等短语。
高频搭配
- put off doing something
- put off a meeting/decision
- put somebody off
- put somebody off doing something
- put off until/for
- be put off by something
用法示例
- Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.今日事今日毕。
- They put off the wedding because of the storm.因为暴风雨,他们推迟了婚礼。
- I keep putting off going to the dentist.我一直拖延着不去看牙医。
- His constant complaining really puts me off.他不停地抱怨真的让我很反感。
- The smell of the food put me off eating.那食物的味道让我没了胃口。
- The game was put off due to heavy rain.比赛因大雨而延期。