turn off
/ˈtɜːn ɒf/ IELTSAcademic
phrasal verb
- 1.
To stop a machine, light, or device from working. It is the opposite of turn on.
- Please turn off the fan.
- Turn off your phone before the meeting.
- 2.
To make someone lose interest, pleasure, or excitement. Something unpleasant can also do this.
- The long speech really turned me off.
- Bad service can turn customers off.
Adinary Nuance
Turn off is the everyday choice for stopping a machine or device. For feelings, it means something makes you lose interest, while words like dislike or repel are stronger and more direct. It is less formal than deactivate in most spoken and written English.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- tắt
- Spanish
- apagar
- Chinese
- 关闭
- Japanese
- 消す
- Korean
- 끄다
Etymology
Turn off comes from the verb turn and the adverb off. It has been used in English since the 1800s, first for stopping devices and later for reducing interest or attraction.
Common phrases
turn off the lightsturn off your phoneturn off the alarmturn off completely
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between turn off and switch off?
- They mean almost the same thing. Turn off is more common in everyday English.
- Can turn off mean something other than stopping a device?
- Yes. It can also mean making someone lose interest or attraction.
- Is turn off formal or informal?
- It is neutral and very common in both speech and writing.
- Is turn off used in business writing?
- Yes, especially for instructions, warnings, and everyday workplace communication.