Definition of put put in English English dictionary
- don't put all your eggs in one basket
- Don't dedicate all your resources into one thing
- hard put
- To be in a situation that is difficult to resolve
I know what it means, but would be hard put to define it.
- harder put
- Comparative form of hard put: more hard put
- hardest put
- Superlative form of hard put
- not to put too fine a point on it
- used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making
En route to his taciturn and, not to put too fine a point on it, not yet perfectly sober companion Mr Bloom.
- off-put
- Alternative form of put off
- put
- To express something in a certain manner
When you put it that way, I guess I can see your point.
- put
- An idiot; a foolish person
The old put wanted to make a parson of me, but d—n me, thinks I to myself, I'll nick you there, old cull; the devil a smack of your nonsense shall you ever get into me.
- put
- To bring or set into a certain relation, state or condition
She tends to put herself in dangerous situations.
- put
- To exercise a put option
He got out of his Procter and Gamble bet by putting his shares at 80.
- put
- To place something somewhere
She put her books on the table.
- put
- A contract to sell a security at a set price on or before a certain date
He bought a January '08 put for Procter and Gamble at 80 to hedge his bet.
- put
- To throw a heavy iron ball as a sport. See shot put
- put
- A right to sell something at a predetermined price
- put a damper on
- To stop people from enjoying an activity
John told us he had lost his job, which put a damper on the celebrations.
- put a foot wrong
- To make a mistake
- put a lid on it
- To be quiet; shut up; to stop talking about something or making noise
Oh, put a lid on it already! I heard you the first fourteen times.
- put a sock in it
- To stop talking; to be quiet; to shut one's mouth
He went on and on until I finally told him to put a sock in it.
- put a stop to
- To terminate or abolish something
- put about
- To change direction
- put about
- To circulate (a rumour)
- put across
- to perform a theatrical production
Yet, though the piece is preposterous hokum, the show is put across with enormous zest.
- put across
- to explain or state something clearly and understandably
All good communicators try to use popular, well-understood examples to put across complex ideas.
- put all one's eggs in one basket
- To rely on a single source (as of income), rather than diversifying
They felt that buying more real estate than they already had would be putting all their eggs in one basket.
- put an end to
- to terminate or abolish something
He put an end to the loud music by pulling the plug.
- put aside
- to save money
I try to put a few dollars aside each week, just in case I need money in an emergency.
- put aside
- to ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention
Let's put our differences aside for the moment, and get this project finished.
- put at ease
- to evoke or cause someone to be relaxed or calm
The new data really put my mind at ease over buying this car.
- put away
- To send (someone) to prison
He was convicted and they put him away for 10 years.
- put away
- To divorce
And the pharyses cam and axed hym a question: whether it were laufull for a man to putt awaye hys wyfe.
- put away
- To store, add to one's stores for later use
Preparing for the worst, they put away food for the winter.
- put away
- To discard, divest oneself of
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
- put away
- To fend off, deflect; to dismiss
A sayd the kynge, syn ye knowe of your aduenture puruey for hit, and put awey by your craftes that mysauenture.
- put away
- To consume (food or drink), especially in large quantities
You wouldn't think such a small person could put away so much food.
- put away
- To take a large lead in a game
- put away
- To strike out a batter
- put away
- To catch a fly ball or tag out a baserunner
- put away
- To place out of the way, clean up
I put the clothes away so as to neaten the room.
- put back
- To return something to it's original place
He carefully put the vase back on the shelf.
- put back
- To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time
Don't forget that this Sunday we put the clocks back an hour.
- put back
- To drink fast; to knock down alcohol
Whisky he sipped at suspiciously, and still had not got an adult taste for; but wine he loved, and he put back champagne as if it were lager, with awful belches and chuckles after each glass.
- put back
- To postpone an arranged event or appointment
The meeting has been put back to 5.00 pm.
- put by
- To preserve food by canning, freezing, drying, etc
Our family has been putting food by for generations.
- put by
- To save money
I have put a few hundred pounds by for a rainy day.
- put by
- To run a ship aground intentionally to avoid a collision
The Bow Spring put by to avoid colliding with the Manzanillo II.
- put by
- To perform an action without attracting attention
I managed to put that transaction by accounts payable.
- put case
- To take as a hypothesis; to suppose (that)
But put case they continue; thou art not so poor as thou wast born .
- put down
- To land an aircraft
The pilot managed to put down in a nearby farm field.
- put down
- To insult, belittle, or demean
Just because we get around.
- put down
- To add a name to a list
I've put myself down for the new Spanish conversation course.
- put down
- To cease, temporarily or permanently, reading (a book)
I was unable to put down The Stand: it was that exciting.
- put down
- To pay an initial amount of money on a large purchase
We put down a $1,000 deposit.
- put down
- To write something
Put down the first thing you think of on this piece of paper.
- put down
- To drop someone off, or let them out of a vehicle
The taxi put him down outside the hotel.
- put down
- To place a baby somewhere to sleep
I had just put Mary down when you rang. So now she's crying again.
- put down
- Alternative spelling of put-down
- put down
- To make prices, or taxes, lower
BP are putting petrol and diesel down in what could be the start of a price war.
- put down
- To administer euthanasia to, as an animal too old or ill to cure
Rex was in so much pain, they had to put him down.
- put down
- To halt, eliminate, stop, or squelch, often by force
The government quickly put down an insurrection.
- put down
- To set down, stop carrying, or place in a low location
There he is! cried Mrs. Flanders, coming round the rock and covering the whole space of the beach in a few seconds. What has he got hold of? Put it down, Jacob! Drop it this moment!.
- put down
- To replace the telephone receiver and terminate a call. To hang up
Don't put the phone down. I want a quick word with him,too.
- put down for
- to record that someone has offered to help, or contribute something
You can put my wife down for 10$.
- put down roots
- to do things which show that one wishes to stay put
It might be hard for her to leave London after all these years, she's put down roots there.
- put down roots
- to feel that one belong in a place
I haven't put down roots in this town yet, 'cause I've got trouble making friends here.
- put down to
- to state the cause of a situation
I put the high crime rate down to the high unemployment.
- put food on the table
- To provide enough money to cover basic necessities
The middle class does not consider itself free form the concern of putting food on the table.
- put forth
- to give or supply; to make or create (implies trying or striving)
to put forth an effort.
- put forward
- To change the time in a time zone to a later time
Don't forget that this Sunday we put the clocks forward an hour.
- put forward
- To propose for consideration
The Prime Minister put forward new plans to tackle corruption.
- put hair on somebody's chest
- To make a person (especially a male) stronger or more masculine
When Lonnie Bushey was 6 he started drinking with his father who told him it would put hair on his chest and make him a man.
- put hair on someone's chest
- Alternative form of put hair on somebody's chest
- put heads together
- To collaborate in a mental task, such as generating ideas
I'm sure if we put our heads together we can come up with a solution.
- put in
- To place inside
Just put in the key for the ignition and turn it.
- put in
- To apply, request, or submit
I'm going to the bank to put in for a transfer.
- put in place
- To pass
Constitution and electoral law were finally put in place two months ago amidst opposition.
- put in place
- To set up
He doesn't know what puppet government to put in place.
- put in place
- To allocate
Means for modernization were put in place.
- put in practice
- Alternative form of put into practice
- put in with
- To commit to something with; to partner with
- put into effect
- To implement; to execute; to carry out
- put into practice
- To take a theory and make it a practical reality
But there remain two problems to resolve before the plan can be put into practice.
- put it there
-
- put off
- offended, repulsed
The guest was quite put off by an odor.
- put off
- To procrastinate
Don't put it off.
- put off
- to offend, repulse, or frighten
Almost drowning put him off swimming.
- put off
- daunted or fazed
All but the most dedicated were put off by the huge task.
- put off
- to delay (a task, event, or deadline)
The storm put the game off by a week.
- put on
- To don (clothing, equipment, or the like)
She puts on an air of bravado.
- put on
- To initiate cooking or warming, especially on a stovetop
I'll put on some coffee for everybody.
- put on
- To fool, kid, deceive
She's putting on that she's sicker than she really is.
- put on
- To perform for an audience
He's just putting on an act of innocence: he knows he's guilty.
- put on
- To prescribe a treatment for
The doctor put me on pills for my allergies.
- put on
- To play (a recording)
Can you put on The Sound of Music? I'd like to see it again.
- put on airs
- to become haughty, to assume a haughty manner
Even Timothy, the jointed wooden lion, who was made by the disabled soldiers, and should have had broader views, put on airs and pretended he was connected with Government.
- put on the dog
- To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious
- put on the red light
- to advertise oneself as a prostitute
- put on weight
- To experience a weight gain, to increase in weight
- put one foot in front of the other
- To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task
- put one foot in front of the other
- To move forward, progress steadily
- put one over
- To succeed in a deception
- put one over
- To fool, trick or deceive
The salesman tried to put one over on me.
- put one past somebody
- To deceive, trick, or fool, especially by concealing something
He tried to put one past the band director by giving her a jalapeño-flavored lollipop.
- put one's affairs in order
- To prepare for the end of one's life as one has lived it
The judge gave him ten days to put his affairs in order before beginning his sentence.
- put one's ass on the line
- to take a big risk
He put his ass on the line for his country and his family during the Second World War, but nobody seems to care about that anymore.
- put one's back into
- To make a strenuous effort to do something
When he puts his back into the work, he gets quite a lot done.
- put one's best foot forward
- To show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a favorable impression
Try to put your best foot forward at all times during a job interview.
- put one's feet up
- to relax
- put one's finger on
- To identify, specify, name or pick out (usually negative)
There’s something wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it.
- put one's foot down
- To make a car go faster, accelerate
- put one's foot down
- To insist, demand, or refuse
I finally put my foot down and demanded to talk to someone in charge.
- put one's foot in it
- To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive
- put one's foot in one's mouth
- To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong
I really put my foot in my mouth during the interview.
- put one's hands together
- To clap; to applaud
Ladies and gentleman, put your hands together for Sir Elton John!.
- put one's mind to it
- To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort
You can do anything, if you put your mind to it.
- put one's money where one's mouth is
- To make or take a bet
- put one's money where one's mouth is
- More generally, to take an obvious stake in the truth of a claim that one is making
- put one's pants on one leg at a time
- To be a normal person
Remember, he puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like you.
- put one's shoulder to the wheel
- To work or exert oneself heavily or with full effort
When he got to law school he knew he'd have to put his shoulder to the wheel to succeed.
- put one's trousers on one leg at a time
- To be a normal person
Remember, he puts his trousers on one leg at a time, just like you.
- put oneself across
- To explain one's ideas and opinions clearly so that another person can understand them and get a picture of your personality
It is very important to put yourself across well at a job interview.
- put oneself in someone's shoes
- To try to look at a situation from a different point of view; as if one were the other person. To empathise
If you could just put yourself in his shoes for a moment, perhaps you would understand why it is not as easy as you seem to think.
- put out
- To injure a part of the body, especially a joint
Be careful with those scissors, or you'll put your eye out!.
- put out
- Taking offense; indignant
He was put out at the mere suggestion of misconduct.
- put out
- To produce
The factory puts out 4000 units each day.
- put out
- The statistic of the number of outs a defensive player directly caused
Jones recorded 15 put outs in the first half of the season.
- put out
- To place outside or eject
Don’t forget to put out the cat.
- put out
- To extinguish (a flame or light)
When I saw the coffin I knew that I was respited, for, as I judged, there was space between it and the wall behind enough to contain my little carcass; and in a second I had put out the candle, scrambled up the shelves, half-stunned my senses with dashing my head against the roof, and squeezed my body betwixt wall and coffin.
- put out
- To cause a player on the offense to be out, especially of men on base
- put out
- To consent to sex
This Grosso dated this woman a couple of times, and then, when she wouldn't put out for him, he beat her up and forced her.
- put out feelers
- To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate
I will put out feelers and see what I can find out about that.
- put out of one's misery
- To submit (a person or animal) to euthanasia
- put outs
- plural form of put out
- put paid to
- to mark a bill or a debt record as "paid"
- put paid to
- to terminate; to cancel (plans or expectations); to stop something once and for all
The rain put paid to our plans for a picnic.
- put pen to paper
- To begin to write something
- put pen to paper
- To write something (especially using pen and ink)
- put somebody in his place
- To bring somebody down; to humble or insult
His quips at the party aimed to put the CEO in his place.
- put someone down as
- to assume someone has a particular character from very little information
I put him down as ignorant, but then discovered he is, in fact, a university professor!.
- put someone in mind of
- To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning
With this weekend's whack of snow, Torontonians will be put in mind of last year's chaos.
- put someone's back up
- To annoy someone deliberately
You really put her back up there, John.
- put something into perspective
- To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea
You can put your worries into perspective when you realise how many people in the world are so much worse off than you.
- put that in your pipe and smoke it
- Used after stating something surprising or undesired, to emphasize its truth. Also used after refuting an argument. Sometimes an adjective is inserted before pipe
There's plenty of room for improvement in it, I don't deny; but it's my belief, Snap, if you was to try to do some of the improvement, you'd find you'd such a lot to do in your own self that you'd begin to doubt whether you was quite a proper judge about other folk's badness. Put that in your pipe, old boy, and smoke it. Good night, Snap; we'll be going now, sir, if it's convenient..
- put the bee on
- to beg; to borrow money from
- put the bee on
- to finish off, to beat
- put the boot in
- To kick a fallen opponent
- put the boot in
- To kick someone when they are down
- put the cart before the horse
- To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities; to put something inconsequential as more important than something more essential
Mr. Schumer said that the idea of agreeing to a date for a vote before the committee had held hearings was to put the cart before horse..
- put the cat among the pigeons
- To cause alarm
Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.
- put the clock back
- To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time
Don't forget that this Sunday we put the clocks back an hour.
- put the clock forward
- To change the time in a time zone to a later time
Don't forget that this Sunday we put the clocks forward an hour.
- put the feedbag on
- To dine; to eat
Well, gang, it's time to gather around the table and put the feedbag on.
- put the hammer down
- To drive quickly; to step on the accelerator
- put the kibosh on
- To halt, stop, or squelch
Someone really needs to go put the kibosh on that noisy party.
- put the make on
- To pursue with romantic interest, especially in an aggressive, sexually suggestive manner
His girl—the one he has been trying unsuccessfully to put the make on—hears the longing and the edge of desperation in his voice and kisses him on the cheek.
- put the pedal to the metal
- To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent
- put the pedal to the metal
- To exert maximum effort
- put the plug in the jug
- To cease drinking alcohol; to become teetotal
- put the shits up someone
- To scare someone, or give them a fright
He would put the shits up me by phoning me in the middle of the night.
- put the wind up
- To frighten or disturb
- put through
- to cause to endure
After all the grief my wife has put me through, I wonder why I'm still with her.
- put through
- to connect
Please hold the line a moment while I put you through to the sales office.
- put through
- To pass the ball to (someone) giving them a one-on-one scoring opportunity
- put through its paces
- To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions
Before buying the car, we put it through its paces.
- put through the wringer
- To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal
They really put each candidate through the wringer before choosing one to hire.
- put to
- To ask or pose a question
I'll put it to the committee and see what they say.
- put to bed
- To finalise the result, seal a win
- put to bed
- To help someone, for example a child, go to bed
- put to bed
- To prepare a newspaper for printing
- put to death
- To kill as punishment for capital crimes; to execute
- put to rest
- to settle or finish, especially a question or discussion
Let's try to put this question to rest once and for all.
- put to sleep
- to help (someone) to bed
- put to sleep
- to cause (someone) to doze off, as through boring (him)
- put to sleep
- to kill an animal in order to end suffering, often with an injection; see euthanasia
- put to sleep
- to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
- put to the sword
- To severely defeat
- put to the sword
- To execute, especially by using a sword
- put to the test
- To test something or someone; to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation
He got a new bicycle yesterday, so I expect that today he will want to take it out riding and put it to the test.
- put to use
- to use; to utilise; to apply
If you put this make-up to use you should be able to hide that imperfection.
- put together
- In total
Alaska has more land than Texas and Oklahoma put together.
- put together
- To assemble, construct, or build
If you try to put together the model kit yourself, be very careful not to break any of the pieces.
- put together
- Combined, assembled
It's an impressive piece of music, now that all the parts are put together.
- put two and two together
- To figure out; to deduce or discern
We didn't tell our friends that we were dating, but I think they put two and two together.
- put up
- To hang or mount
Many people put up messages upon their refrigerator.
- put up
- To place in a high location
Please put up your luggage in the overhead bins.
- put up
- To house, shelter, or take in
We can put you up for the night.
- put up
- To present, especially in "put up a fight"
That last fighter put up quite a fight.
- put up
- To endure, put up with
Dionysius of Syracuse, in his exile, was made to stand without dore ; he wisely put it up, and laid the fault where it was, on his own pride and scorn, which in his prosperity he had formerly showed others.
- put up
- To cajole or dare to do something
I think someone put him up to it.
- put up
- To store away
Be sure to put up the tools when you finish.
- put up one's dukes
- An invitation to, or the acceptance or encouragement of, a fistfight, where the "dukes" are the fists of one of the fighters and "put up" means to raise the fists
- put up one's dukes
- An invitation to, or the acceptance or encouragement of, a verbal or written argument, or a contest including a sporting competition
- put up or shut up
- desist from saying something unless one is able to prove it
- put up the shutters
- to bat defensively in the last innings of a match in order to force a draw when winning is not possible
- put up with
- to tolerate, suffer through, or allow, especially something annoying
I put up with a lot of nonsense, but this is too much.
- put upon
- Imposed on, taken advantage of, used, taken for granted, or unappreciated
His toe hurt, he was heavy, he lacked his old explosiveness, he felt put upon by everyone.
- put words in somebody's mouth
- To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something
I hope I'm not putting words in your mouth. Did you just tell me to go home early?.
- put words in someone's mouth
- To imply or state that has said a thing; to erect a straw man
- put-down
- An insult or barb; a snide or demeaning remark
When he called you a know-it-all, he meant it as a put-down.
- put-on
- A deception, hoax, or practical joke
I think this is all a big put-on.
- put-out
- Alternative spelling of put out
- put-up job
- An attempt to trick, deceive, or con someone
It seemed to be a really good opportunity, but it turned out to be nothing but a put-up job.
- put-upon
- Alternative form of put upon
- ridden hard and put away wet
- Mistreated; not properly cared for
Alexandra collapsed onto the leather couch in the library, feeling as if she were a horse who had just been ridden hard and put away wet.
- shot put
- An athletics event where a competitor must hurl a heavy metal orb as far as possible. Because of the weight of the ball this is done with a pushing motion rather than a throwing motion
- stay put
- To remain in one fixed place
I keep adjusting the focus, but it won't stay put.
- well put
- skillfully explained and/or argued
That was well put! I couldn't have said it better myself!.
- put a brave face on things
- (Ev ile ilgili) Behave in a way that makes people think you are happy when you are not
- put a plug in
- Say something favoring someone or something; to advertise someone or something
- put on
- wear, clothe oneself with; load; pretend
- put one's trust in
- believe in, trust
- put to death
- execute
- put up
- If people put up a wall, building, tent, or other structure, they construct it so that it is upright. Protesters have been putting up barricades across a number of major intersections take down
- put up with
- be patient with; tolerate
- put a brave face
- (Ev ile ilgili) Behave in a way that makes people think you are happy when you are not
- put hand on heart
- (Ev ile ilgili) If you can put your hand on your heart and say something, you can say it knowing that it is the truth
- put one's hand on heart
- (Ev ile ilgili) If you can put your hand on your heart and say something, you can say it knowing that it is the truth
- put someone in an awkward position
- Make a situation difficult for someone; to make it difficult for someone to evade or avoid acting
- put someone on hold
- Stop all activity or communication with someone
- put something on hold
- Postpone something; stop the progress of something
- simply put
- Used for saying that you are explaining something in a clear and simple way
