1.
to start wearing clothes, shoes or glasses
“Put on your jacket.”
“She put her shoes on.”
“I put them on this morning.”
Synonyms: to wear, to don
Phrasal verb
What does put on mean?
Meaning: to start wearing something; to switch something on
B1
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Quick answer
Put on = to start wearing something (clothes, shoes, glasses): Put on your jacket. It can also mean to switch on a machine or to gain weight. It is separable: put it on. The opposite is take off.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to switch on a TV, radio or music
common“Can you put the TV on?”
“I'll put some music on.”
Synonyms: to turn on, to switch on
3.
to gain weight
idiomatic“I've put on 3 kilos this winter.”
4.
to organise a show or a play
common“The school put on a play.”
Word order
Separable
The object can go between the verb and the particle. With a pronoun (it, them), it always goes between.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- put on
- Past Simple:
- put on
- Past participle:
- put on
- -ing form:
- putting on
Common mistakes to avoid
Irregular, but the same in every form: put / put / put
Put is irregular, but its three forms are the same. It is put in the present, in the Past Simple and as the past participle (the form after have). I put on my coat yesterday is the Past Simple! Never putted ❌.
With a pronoun: between put and on
Put it on ✓ / Put on it ❌. With a noun, both orders are fine: put on your shoes / put your shoes on.
Put on is not the same as wear
Put on is the action of dressing. Wear is the state of having clothes on. I put on my hat (action) / I'm wearing a hat (state). To describe someone, say She's wearing a red dress ✓, not She's putting on a red dress ❌ (unless she is dressing right now).
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: put on
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What does put on mean?+
Put on has four main meanings: (1) to start wearing clothes; (2) to switch on the TV or some music; (3) to gain weight; (4) to organise a show. The most common one is the first: Put on your shoes.
What is the difference between put on and wear?+
Put on is an action: you dress yourself. Wear is a state: the clothes are already on your body. I put on my coat (when I leave) / I'm wearing a blue coat (a description).
Is put on separable?+
Yes. With a noun: put on your hat or put your hat on. With a pronoun, the pronoun goes in the middle: put it on ✓ (never put on it).
What is the opposite of put on?+
Take off, which means to remove clothes. Put on your shoes / Take off your shoes. These two phrasal verbs often go together.
What does put on weight mean?+
It means to become heavier. I've put on 3 kilos = I am 3 kilos heavier now. This meaning is very common. The opposite is lose weight: I've lost weight.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/put-on
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.