Dictionary

put on en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (UK) audio
• /ˌpʊt ˈɒn/

Meanings

1. (transitive) To don (clothing, equipment, or the like).
   • And Iacob vowed a vow, ſaying, If God will be with me, and will keepe me in this way that I goe, and will giue me bꝛead to eate, and raiment to put on. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 22:5:
   • Why don't you put on your jacket. It's cold.
2. (ditransitive, transitive) To decorate or dress (something) onto another person or a surface.
   • I put tinsel on the Christmas tree.
   • I put a coat on my daughter.
3. (intransitive, transitive) To fool, kid, deceive.
   • She's putting on that she's sicker than she really is.
   • You must be putting me on.
4. (transitive) To assume, adopt or affect; to behave in a particular way as a pretense.
   • Why are you putting that silly voice on?
   • He's just putting on that limp -- his leg's actually fine.
5. (transitive) To play (a recording).
   • Can you put on The Sound of Music? I'd like to see it again.
   • I'll put your favorite record on.
6. (ditransitive, transitive) To play (a recording) on (a sound system).
   • I'll put blues on the stereo.
   • We usually put the Beatles on on my boombox.
7. (transitive) To initiate cooking or warming, especially on a stovetop.
   • I'll put on some coffee for everybody.
8. (transitive) To perform for an audience.
   • The actors will put Macbeth on only one more time.
   • The actors put on a show last Saturday.
9. (transitive) To organize a performance for an audience.
   • The big and little inmates of the Edgewater Orphanage will receive a visit from St. Claus tonight, when members of the Townsmen Society of Norfolk, loaded down with toys and useful presents, will visit the institution to put on their annual Christmas party. 1936 December 22, “Orphans Given Party Tonight: Members of Townsmen Society to Be Accompanied by Santa, with Pack”, in Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, volume CXLIII, number 83, Norfolk, Va., →OCLC, page 9, column 6:
   • The theatre company is putting on Into the Woods this season.
10. (transitive) To provide.
    • Peterbough United have been playing at Lincoln, in something of a local derby. EMR has put on a six-car Class 158 as an additional train, to take 'Posh' fans home (Posh is the team's nickname, by the way). 2024 April 17, “Rural railways: do they deliver?”, in RAIL, number 1007, page 58:
11. (ditransitive, transitive) To bet (money or other items) on (something).
    • I put five pounds on that racehorse.
12. (ditransitive, transitive) To assign or apply (something) to a target.
    • This puts a completely different hue on the matter.
    • The gang boss put some goons on the other gang.
    • Carl has been put on the front desk for tonight's shift.
    • The witch put a hex on me.
13. (transitive) To give (someone) a role in popular media.
    • I hope they put me on TV.
    • They put her on a billboard.
14. (transitive) To set (movie, show, song, etc.) to play on a screen.
    • I put SpongeBob on when the kid gets fussy.
15. (dated, transitive) To switch on (a device).
    • "Then the meter had been put on again?" 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
16. (transitive) To gain (weight).
    • I put on at least five kilos over the holidays.
17. (transitive) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see put, on.
    • Put it on the list.
    • The doctor put me on a diet.
    • He put the pen on the table.
18. (intransitive, obsolete, transitive) To hurry up; to move swiftly forward.
    • Sophia […] saw several horses coming after on full speed. This greatly alarmed her fears, and she called to the guide to put on as fast as possible. 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

doff (antonym(s) of) · take off (antonym(s) of “play a recording”) · take off (antonym(s) of “literal—on a list”) · take off

Deriveds

put one's own oxygen mask on first

Relateds

put one over · wear · don · put-on

Synonyms

hasten (move swiftly forward) · beclothe (don clothing) · hoodwink (fool, kid, deceive) · put down (literal—on a list)

Translations (136)

pl włożyć (to don) · ru наде́ть (to don) · km ពាក់ (to don) · nl opzetten (to play (a recording)) · grc βιβάζω (to don) · fi laittaa soimaan (to play (a recording)) · da tage på (to don) · yue 放 (to play (a recording)) · he הלביש (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · fi laskea leikkiä (to fool, kid, deceive) · uk одягти́ (to don) · la sūmō (to don) · ltg viļkt (to don) · sv klä på (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · ba кейеү (to don) · pt colocar (to don) · txb wäs- (to don) · hi पहनना (to don) · lt auti (to don) · uk наді́ти (to don) · cmn 穿 (to don) · th ครอง (to don) · fi panna soimaan (to play (a recording)) · ru ста́вить (to play (a recording)) · fr mettre (to don) · fi laittaa tulemaan (to initiate cooking or warming) · lo ໃສ່ (to don) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌼𐍉𐌽 (to don) · nl aantrekken (to don) · pt pôr (to don) · uk надяга́ти (to don) · ja 被る (to don) · de zulegen (to gain (weight)) · sid wodhdha (to don) · th ใส่ (to don) · el βάζω (to don) · fi teeskennellä (to behave in a particular way as a pretense) · it vestire (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · ga cuir ar (to don) · bg представям (to perform for an audience) · de anziehen (to don) · cs obléct (to don) · ar لَبِسَ (to don) · th สวม (to don) · hu felvesz (to don) · ja 着る (to don) · arz لبس (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · sa प्रवस्ते (to don) · sl obléči (to don) · sa वस्ते (to don) · bg облека́ (to don) · fi esiintyä (to perform for an audience) · bg обли́чам (to don) · ur پہننا (to don) · lv vilkt (to don) · th สวมใส่ (to don) · arz لبس (to don) · nl aantrekken (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · eo surmeti (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · es ponerse (to don) · fi panna päälle (to don) · io metar (to don) · vi đeo vào (to don) · fi esittää (to perform for an audience) · ary دار (to don) · ga cuir suas (to gain (weight)) · hu berak (to play (a recording)) · be надзява́ць (to don) · uk вдяга́ти (to don) · eo surmeti (to don) · az taxmaq (to don) · ga gléas (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · sh obući (to don) · is klæða (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · fi pistää soimaan (to play (a recording)) · sh обући (to don) · fi pukea ylleen (to don) · fi painua tiehensä ((obsolete) to hurry up) · fi vedättää (to fool, kid, deceive) · sk obliekať (to don) · zdj nkabwa (to don) · ary لْبس (to don) · it vestire (to don) · ru поста́вить (to play (a recording)) · sv sätta på sig (to don) · fi esittää (to organize a performance for an audience) · fi esiintyä (to organize a performance for an audience) · fi vitsailla (to fool, kid, deceive) · is fara í (to don) · nl aandoen (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · ko 입다 (to don) · ja 履く (to don) · de anziehen (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · fi soittaa (to play (a recording)) · tr giymek (to don) · hu betesz (to play (a recording)) · ru надева́ть (to don) · fi pelleillä (to fool, kid, deceive) · cmn 穿上 (to don) · pt vestir (to don) · ca posar-se (to don) · fr enfiler (to don) · fi pistää päälle (to don) · grc ἐνδύω (to don) · kl ativaa (to don) · ps اغوستل (to don) · pt botar (to don) · fi laittaa päälle (to don) · vi mặc vào (to don) · be надзе́ць (to don) · cs oblékat (to don) · it indossare (to don) · az geymək (to don) · lv aut (to don) · vi đi vào (to don) · ar اِرْتَدَى (to don) · de aufsetzen (headgear) (to don) · he לבש (to don) · sk obliecť (to don) · fur vistî (to don) · grc ἕννυμι (to don) · pl wkładać (to don) · hu feltesz (to play (a recording)) · la induō (to don) · pdc aabappe (to decorate or dress (something) onto) · wa mete (to don) · zdj upvamɓa (to don) · ltg maukt (to don) · nl opzetten (headgear) (to don) · es poner (to play (a recording)) · mk облекува (to don) · ang dōn on (to don) · yi אָנטאָן (to don) · da iføre sig (to don) · fa پوشیدن (to don) · uk надіва́ти (to don)