TURN OFF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does turn off mean? 

• TURN OFF (verb)
  The verb TURN OFF has 3 senses:

1. cause to stop operating by disengaging a switch

2. make a turn

3. cause to feel intense dislike or distaste

  Familiarity information: TURN OFF used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TURN OFF (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to stop operating by disengaging a switch

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

cut; switch off; turn off; turn out

Context example:

turn out the lights

Hypernyms (to "turn off" is one way to...):

flip; switch; throw (cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "turn off"):

kill (cause to cease operating)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a turn

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

turn off at the parking area

Hypernyms (to "turn off" is one way to...):

turn (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

turnoff (a side road where you can turn off)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to feel intense dislike or distaste

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

put off; turn off

Hypernyms (to "turn off" is one way to...):

repel; repulse (be repellent to; cause aversion in)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to turn off Sue

Derivation:

turnoff (something causing antagonism or loss of interest)

 Context examples 

Why don't he, in such a case, sell his horses, let his house, turn off his servants, and make a thorough reform at once?

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Desensitization of GPCRs occurs through protein kinases that phosphorylate the GPCR to turn off signaling.

(Attenuation of GPCR Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

At other times, if a female stranger came among them, three or four of her own sex would get about her, and stare, and chatter, and grin, and smell her all over; and then turn off with gestures, that seemed to express contempt and disdain.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)