off-putting

adjective

off-put·​ting ˈȯf-ˌpu̇-tiŋ How to pronounce off-putting (audio)
: that puts one off : repellent, disconcerting
an off-putting attitude
off-puttingly adverb

Examples of off-putting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, Braverman seems to be roving in search of the source of Kaufman’s appeal: Why did fans want to watch someone who was so often deliberately off-putting and exasperating? Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025 Nihilistic action comedies such as Novocaine are built on juxtaposing irreverent humor with cathartic carnage, which can sometimes feel off-putting and contrived. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025 Garrett will also be officiating the wedding, a decision Cece cannot understand, given how strange and off-putting Garrett seems. John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025 Characters like Garth, the improvisational singer alongside Kristen Wiig's Kat, pushed the duo's self-impressed, deliberately off-putting schtick to viewer limits, and beyond. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for off-putting

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-putting was in 1935

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Cite this Entry

“Off-putting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-putting. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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