1.
to stop a machine or a light
“Turn off the light when you leave.”
“I turned the TV off.”
“Turn it off, please.”
Synonyms: to switch off, to power off
Phrasal verb
What does turn off mean?
Meaning: to stop a machine or a light
B1
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Quick answer
Turn off = to stop a machine or a light (a lamp, the TV, a computer). It also means to stop water or gas (a tap). It is separable: turn off the TV or turn the TV off. With a pronoun, the pronoun always goes in the middle: turn it off. The opposite is turn on.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to stop water or gas (a tap)
common“Turn off the tap before you leave.”
“Did you turn off the gas?”
Synonyms: to close, to stop
3.
to make someone stop liking something (informal)
figurative“His attitude really turned me off.”
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:
- turn off
- Past Simple:
- turned off
- Past participle:
- turned off
- -ing form:
- turning off
Common mistakes to avoid
With a pronoun: between turn and off
Turn it off ✓ / Turn off it ❌. This is the rule for separable phrasal verbs: a pronoun always goes in the middle. With a noun, both orders are correct.
Turn off or shut down?
Turn off is general: you can use it for any machine. Shut down is more specific, mostly for a computer. Both work for a computer, but shut down is more technical.
The light is off (not closed)
On and off come from the switch. To describe a light or a machine, use be on or be off: The light is off ✓ / The light is closed ❌. Turn off = to put the switch to off.
Practice quiz
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Related pages: turn off
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Frequently asked questions
What does turn off mean?+
Turn off means to stop a machine or a light, or to stop water or gas (a tap). Turn off the lights = make the lights stop. The opposite is turn on.
Is turn off separable?+
Yes. With a noun: turn off the TV or turn the TV off. With a pronoun, always turn it off. Never turn off it.
Can you say close the light?+
No. In English, you do not open or close a light or a TV. You turn it on or off. Close the light is a common mistake: say turn off the light.
What is the difference between turn off and switch off?+
They mean the same. Turn off is the most common everywhere. Switch off is used mostly in British English. For a normal light switch, both work.
What does “he turned me off” mean?+
This is a figurative meaning: he made me stop liking him or stop being interested. His attitude turned me off = I didn't like his attitude at all. It is negative and informal, but common.
Related phrasal verbs
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/turn-off
© 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.