turnoff

[tˈɚnˌɔf] /ˈtərn-ˌȯf How to pronounce turnoff (audio)/ (ame, mw)

turnoff — 動詞

  • turnoffpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • turnoffs3rd person singular
  • turnoffing-ing form
  • turnoffedpast simple

1. to stop a device, machine, light, or water flow from working by moving a switch,

1.動詞及物A2
釋義

關掉；關閉

轉動開關使設備停止運作

to stop a device, machine, light, or water flow from working by moving a switch, button, or handle.

例句

Lucía always turns off the kitchen light before going to bed.

Lucía 晚上睡覺前總是會關掉廚房的燈。

turn off + noun phrase for a light or device

Cyrus turned off the tap while brushing his teeth to save water.

Cyrus 刷牙時關掉水龍頭以節省用水。

collocation: turn off the tap

同義詞
  • switch off

    very similar, slightly more common for lights and small electronics

  • shut off

    emphasises stopping a flow of water, gas, or power at its source

反義詞
  • turn on

    the opposite action — to make a device start working

文法句型

turn off + noun phrase (device, light, flow)

turn + pronoun + off

用法筆記

When the object is a pronoun (it, them), it must go between 'turn' and 'off': 'turn it off', NOT 'turn off it'. This pattern holds for all senses of this verb.

常見錯誤

❌Turn off it before you leave the kitchen.
✅Turn it off before you leave the kitchen.
💡With object pronouns, the pronoun goes between 'turn' and 'off'.

2. to make someone stop feeling interested, excited, or willing to continue; or (wi

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

使失去興趣

讓人感到無聊而不再感興趣

to make someone stop feeling interested, excited, or willing to continue; or (without an object) to stop being interested in something yourself.

例句

The two-hour lecture about tax rules turned off most of the students.

那場長達兩小時的稅務規則講座讓大多數學生失去興趣。

transitive: event + turns off + person

Romi started the novel but turned off after the first fifty pages.

Romi 開始讀那本小說，但讀了五十頁後就失去了興趣。

intransitive: [person] + turned off

同義詞
  • bore

    stronger; puts the fault on the thing or person being boring

  • put off

    similar register and meaning, but can also mean 'to discourage from doing'

  • disenchant

    more formal, implies deeper disappointment over time

反義詞
  • interest

    to capture someone's attention

  • engage

    to keep someone actively interested

文法句型

turn off + noun phrase (person who becomes bored)

turn off + from + noun phrase (lose interest in an activity)

turn off (without object — lose interest)

用法筆記

Common in informal conversation. In the intransitive use ('I turned off after ten minutes'), the subject was initially interested but gradually or suddenly lost that interest.

3. to remove someone from their job, typically because they have done something wro

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

開除；解僱

因過失或不勝任而解除僱傭關係

to remove someone from their job, typically because they have done something wrong or their work is not satisfactory.

例句

In the 1950s, the factory turned off workers when demand fell during the winter months.

在 1950 年代，工廠在冬季需求下降時會開除工人。

dated use: factory + turned off + workers

The mine supervisor turned off a digger for arriving late three days in a row.

礦場主管因一名礦工連續三天遲到而開除了他。

同義詞
  • fire

    more common in modern English across all regions

  • sack

    British English, informal

  • dismiss

    more formal, used in official contexts

反義詞
  • hire

    to give someone a job

  • employ

    to give someone paid work

文法句型

turn off + noun phrase (employee)

be turned off from + noun phrase (job)

用法筆記

(dated) This sense was used in the early-to-mid 20th century for dismissing employees. In modern English, 'fire', 'sack', or 'lay off' are far more common natural choices.

4. to get rid of goods, stock, or property by selling them, often at a reduced pric

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

賣掉；出清

出售貨物或財產，常指低價出清

to get rid of goods, stock, or property by selling them, often at a reduced price or in a hurry.

例句

The general store turned off its woollen blankets before the spring stock arrived.

那間雜貨店在春季進貨前出清了剩餘的羊毛毯庫存。

dated: turn off + stock/goods

In the 1940s, the hardware shop turned off old paint tins to clear the shelves.

1940 年代，那家五金行以半價出清舊油漆罐以騰出貨架空間。

同義詞
  • sell off

    more common; implies selling the remaining goods at lower prices

  • dispose of

    more neutral — can mean selling or simply getting rid of

反義詞
  • buy

    to purchase something

  • acquire

    to obtain or gain possession of

文法句型

turn off + noun phrase (goods, stock, property)

turn off + noun phrase + at + price

用法筆記

(dated) This is an older commercial usage. In modern English, 'sell off', 'clear out', or 'dispose of' are far more common for describing the sale of goods or stock.

5. to avoid dealing with a question, blame, or criticism directly by turning the di

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

避開；擋開

使轉向或迴避話題與責任

to avoid dealing with a question, blame, or criticism directly by turning the discussion away from it; or to redirect something away from its original target.

例句

The politician turned off every question about the missing funds during the interview.

那位政治人物在訪問中避開了所有關於資金去向的問題。

figurative: turn off + question/topic

Pim managed to turn off the blame onto a junior colleague who was not present.

Pim 設法把責任推給一位不在場的資淺同事。

turn off + blame + onto + person

同義詞
  • deflect

    more formal and precise for both literal and figurative uses

  • divert

    slightly more formal, used for both attention and objects

  • avert

    to prevent something bad from happening

反義詞
  • attract

    to pull towards rather than push away

  • accept

    to receive or take responsibility, opposite of evading

文法句型

turn off + noun phrase (blame, question, attack)

turn off + noun phrase + onto + noun phrase

用法筆記

Used figuratively to describe redirecting blame, questions, or criticism away from oneself or a sensitive topic. The literal physical-deflection sense (as with a shield) does not occur with 'turn off' in natural English.

6. to produce or make something, especially by manual or artisanal work such as pri

6.動詞及物C1
釋義

產出；完成

生產或達成某項結果

to produce or make something, especially by manual or artisanal work such as printing, woodworking, forging, or similar craft processes (rare, mostly historical use).

例句

The writer's small press turned off only a few hundred copies of each poetry collection.

那位作家的小出版社每本詩集只印了幾百冊。

rare: turn off + copies/publications

In the early 1900s, this workshop turned off furniture for wealthy families across the county.

1900 年代初，這間工坊為全郡的富裕家庭製作手工傢俱。

historical context: turned off + handcrafted goods

同義詞
  • produce

    the standard neutral word

  • turn out

    phrasal verb with similar meaning, more common

  • churn out

    informal, often implies large quantity or low quality

反義詞

文法句型

turn off + noun phrase (result, work, output)

用法筆記

(rare) This sense is now very uncommon in modern English. 'Produce', 'turn out', and 'churn out' are far more common alternatives for this meaning. Its use today is largely limited to historical or literary contexts describing manual production.

7. to leave a main road or a straight path and go onto a different, usually smaller

7.動詞不及物B2
釋義

轉離

離開主路轉入小路

to leave a main road or a straight path and go onto a different, usually smaller, road or direction

例句

At the gas station, the driver turned off onto a narrow gravel road.

司機在加油站處轉離主路，開上一條狹窄的碎石路。

turn off + onto [road]

The main road turns off sharply to the left just beyond the old church.

過了老教堂不遠，主路會急速向左轉離。

同義詞
  • divert

    more formal; suggests being redirected rather than choosing to leave

  • exit

    used for leaving highways or motorways via a ramp

  • veer off

    stronger physical sense of curving away suddenly

反義詞
  • continue

    to stay on the same road or path

文法句型

turn off + at [place]

turn off + from [road]

turn off + onto [road]

用法筆記

Often used with 'at,' 'from,' or 'onto' to indicate the point of departure or the new route. The figurative extension of this sense — a conversation or topic turning toward a new direction — is also attested, though less common than the literal road use.

常見錯誤

❌He turned off the road onto a side street' (used transitively, treating 'turn off' as separable).
✅He turned off from the road onto a side street' or 'He turned off onto a side street.
💡In this intransitive sense, 'turn off' does not take a direct object; use a preposition to introduce the road you are leaving.

8. for food or drink to become rotten, sour, or no longer safe to consume

8.動詞不及物C1
釋義

變質

食物變壞或腐敗

for food or drink to become rotten, sour, or no longer safe to consume

例句

The milk turned off after sitting out of the refrigerator for the whole afternoon.

牛奶放在冰箱外整個下午之後就變質了。

British variety: food turns off = goes bad

The leftover fish turned off in the summer heat before anyone could eat it.

剩下的魚在夏日高溫中變質了，還沒有人來得及吃。

同義詞
  • go bad

    more common in American English, same meaning

  • go off

    common in British English, especially for milk

  • spoil

    broader, can apply to any perishable food

反義詞

文法句型

turn off + (without object)

用法筆記

This is a chiefly British expression. In American English, 'go bad' or 'go off' is preferred for the same meaning.

9. to become or change to a particular state (archaic or dialectal use; in modern s

9.動詞不及物C2
釋義

古語：變成

古式或方言中表示狀態轉變的說法

to become or change to a particular state (archaic or dialectal use; in modern standard English, 'turn' alone is used for this meaning)

例句

'The weather turned off cold,' the elderly farmer said, using a phrase from his own grandfather's time.

「天氣變冷了，」老農夫用著祖父那個年代的說法說道。

archaic/dialectal pattern: turn off + adjective (cold) — not used in modern standard English

In some rural British dialects, older speakers might say the milk turned off sour instead of 'went sour'.

在英國某些鄉村方言中，老一輩的人可能會說牛奶「變酸了」(turned off sour) 而不是 went sour。

dialectal: turn off + adjective describing change of state

同義詞
  • turn

    the standard form, more common than 'turn off' for this meaning

  • become

    more general; 'turn off' implies a visible or tangible change

  • grow

    suggests a slower, more gradual process

反義詞

文法句型

turn off + adjective (dated dialectal pattern)

用法筆記

(dated, dialectal) This sense is found in older British dialectal usage, but is not productive in modern standard English. In all varieties of contemporary English, the verb 'turn' alone (without 'off') is used for change-of-state descriptions: 'The sky turned gray', 'The weather turned cold', 'The sauce turned thick'. Learners should avoid using 'turn off' for this meaning in everyday speech or writing.

常見錯誤

❌The sky turned off gray.
✅The sky turned gray.
💡In standard English, 'turn off' is never used before a change-of-state adjective; the correct pattern is 'turn' + adjective.

turnoff — 名詞