Turn a lot of people off.

[Ashraful Haque]

"Feedback and evaluation are necessary aspects of school and work, but many people dislike being evaluated." I paraphrased this sentence the following way:

"Being evaluated and getting feedback are undoubtedly very important when it comes to both school and work. Despite this fact they turn a lot of people off."


I know turn off means to make someone feel bored or no longer interested in something. Have I used 'turn off' correctly here?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

"Feedback and evaluation are necessary aspects of school and work, but many people dislike being evaluated." I paraphrased this sentence the following way:

"Being evaluated and getting feedback are undoubtedly very important when it comes to both school and work. Despite this fact they turn a lot of people off."


I know turn off means to make someone feel bored or no longer interested in something.

Actually, it's stronger than that. It means it repels you or disgusts you:

- The way he described his year in the army completely turned me off enlisting.

- The restaurant's smell was a real turn-off.

- I had been looking forward to dinner with her, but the way she ate with her mouth open totally turned me off.

Have I used 'turn off' correctly here?

Yes!

 

[Tdol]

I would not go for the very strong meaning in this context.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I would not go for the very strong meaning in this context.

Now I know! In the US, we would.

 

[emsr2d2]

Despite this fact, they turn a lot of people off."

I know "turn off" means to make someone feel bored or no longer interested in something. Have I used 'turn off' correctly here?

Note my punctuation additions above. I'd probably just say "Despite this, ...".

 

[Tdol]

Now I know! In the US, we would.

We're good at shrugging shoulders and responding with disinterest.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

Thank you guys for all the answers. I just came across 'put off.' And it seems like they mean the same thing. Are they interchangeable?

Put off (to make someone not want to do something, or to make someone not like someone or something)- Lack of parking space was putting potential customers off./ Robert’s attitude towards women really puts me off.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you guys for all the answers. I just came across 'put off.' And it seems like they mean the same thing. Are they interchangeable?

Put off (to make someone not want to do something, or to make someone not like someone or something)- Lack of parking space was putting potential customers off./ Robert’s attitude towards women really puts me off.

In the parking space example, "turn off" doesn't really work. It works in the sentence about Robert as long as the speaker is saying that Robert's attitude towards women stops the speaker from being attracted to him.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

In the parking space example, "turn off" doesn't really work. It works in the sentence about Robert as long as the speaker is saying that Robert's attitude towards women stops the speaker from being attracted to him.

I have two more questions:
1) I know if I say someone turns me on the only interpretation is going to be that I'm sexually attracted to her. But what would 'she turns me off' suggest?

2) I've also heard 'turn off' being used to mean sexually turn off someone. Can I say "She fell asleep in the middle of us having sex and it totally turned me of" to mean that I lost the urge to have sex?

 

[Tarheel]

I have two more questions:
1) I know if I say someone turns me on the only interpretation is going to be that I'm sexually attracted to her. But what would 'she turns me off' suggest?

2) I've also heard 'turn off' being used to mean sexually turn off someone. Can I say "She fell asleep in the middle of us having sex and it totally turned me off" to mean that I lost the urge to have sex?

It seems that you already know the answers to those questions. How about if you say what you think, and I'll tell you if I agree with you?