Put out meaning
Put out means to stop a fire, a cigarette or a light from burning or shining. It can also mean to place something outside or on a table for people to use.
put something out
put out · put · putting
Firefighters put out the fire in an hour.
Put out meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Stop a fire, a cigarette or a light from burning or shining
put something out
- Firefighters put out the fire in an hour.
- Don’t forget to put the lights out.
- That candle is still burning. Can you put it out?
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2
Place something outside or on a table for people to use
put something out
- We put out some snacks for the guests.
- Did you put the bins out last night?
- I’ll put clean towels out for you.
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3
Cause someone extra work or trouble
put somebody out
- I don’t want to put you out. I’ll take a taxi.
- Would it put you out if I stayed tonight?
- Are you sure? I don’t want to put anyone out.
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4
Make music, news or a product available to the public
put something out
- The band put out a new album in May.
- The police put out a warning about fake websites.
- The company puts out a short report every year.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use put out in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is put out separable?
Put out is separable: put out the fire, put the fire out. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: put it out.
Be put out, used as an adjective, means feel a little upset or offended: She was put out that nobody asked her.
Verb tenses for put out
| Present | I put out · she puts out |
|---|---|
| Past | put out |
| Present perfect | have put out |
| -ing form | putting out |
Common mistakes with put out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The fire is small. Put out it!
Right: The fire is small. Put it out!
A pronoun goes between put and out.
Wrong: Please turn off the fire.
Right: Please put out the fire.
You put out a fire. You turn off machines and taps.
Wrong: The singer put up a new song last week.
Right: The singer put out a new song last week.
For releasing music or news, use put out.
Synonyms and opposites of put out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- extinguishthe formal word for putting out a fire
- turn offstop a light or a machine with a switch
- releasemake music or a film available
Opposite
- lightmake a fire or a candle start burning
- start a firemake a fire begin
Put out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Firefighters ___ the fire quickly.
Put out a fire means stop it burning.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle, and put off means delay.
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3Your friend offers to drive you home very late. You say: Thanks, but I don’t want to ___.
Put someone out means give them extra trouble.
More phrasal verbs with put
All phrasal verbs with put, by level, with an exercise
11 phrasal verbs start with put. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- put onA2dress yourself in clothes, shoes or glasses
- put offB1decide to do something later than you planned
- put awayB1put something in the place where it is kept
- put downB1place something you are holding on a table or the floor
- put upB1fix something to a wall, or raise something higher
- put backB1return something to the place where it was before
- put up withB2accept something or someone annoying without complaining
- put togetherB2make something by joining its parts
- put forwardC1suggest an idea or a plan so people can discuss it
- put inA2put something inside a container, a machine or a drink
Put out FAQ
Questions people ask about put out.
What does put yourself out mean?
It means make an extra effort to help someone: She really put herself out to make us feel welcome.
What is the difference between put out and put off?
Put out a fire means stop it burning. Put off means delay something, or make someone not want it.
What is the past tense of put out?
Put out. Put is the same in the present, the past and the past participle: They’ve put the fire out.
Use put out in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.