turnoff

[ turn-awf, -of ]

noun

1. a small road that branches off from a larger one, especially a ramp or exit leading off a major highway:

   He took the wrong turnoff and it took him some 15 minutes to get back on the turnpike.

2. a place at which one diverges from or changes a former course.
3. an act of turning off.
4. the finished product of a certain manufacturing process, as weaving.
5. the quantity of fattened livestock distributed to market.
6. Slang. something or someone that makes one unsympathetic or antagonistic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of turnoff¹

First recorded in 1680–90; noun use of verb phrase turn off

Example Sentences

The one time the Met tried a remarkable Wagner staging, Robert Wilson’s production of “Lohengrin,” it proved an audience turnoff.

From Los Angeles Times

Pence’s sorry treatment at Trump’s hands apparently is no turnoff, however, for ambitious Republicans coveting proximity to power and possession of Air Force Two, should Trump be elected again.

From Los Angeles Times

She told council members the conditions are demoralizing to staff and a turnoff to potential recruits coming for interviews.

From Seattle Times

Instead, he took the turnoff that led to the servants’ quarters behind the pool house.

From Literature

A potentially awkward conversation, sure, but it might be a win-win: “If the no-drama rule is a turnoff, they may choose not to come.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bore
• deterrent
• drag
• nuisance
• pain