phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

turn off

to switch off a device

What it means

To switch off a device, appliance, light, or water tap. It can also mean to make someone lose interest or feel disgusted, often as an adjective: 'a real turn-off'.

Examples

  • Please turn off your phone during the performance.
  • He turned the engine off and stepped out of the car.
  • Don't forget to turn off the tap when you brush your teeth.
  • His rude behaviour really turned me off.

Where it comes from

Separable: 'turn off the TV' or 'turn the TV off', and pronouns go in the middle ('turn it off'). The opposite of 'turn on'. 'Turn off' can also mean to leave a main road for a smaller one ('turn off at the next junction').

Related phrasal verbs

#turn on#turn down#turn up#put out

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