put on
phrasal verb·6 senses·particle on
Meanings
Dress yourself in clothing
Why “on”? Clothing touches the body and covers its surface.
“Maya put on a grey coat in the shop changing room.”
“Before going out to the club, Maya put on her warm coat.”
“Maya put on her blue jacket before leaving for work.”
“He put his boots on before the hike.”
Host or stage an event
Why “on”? A person or group presents a show or event, or acts in a way that is not real.
“They put on a wonderful show.”
“The school put on a play for parents.”
“We're putting on a small dinner for her birthday.”
Gain weight
Why “on”? Weight piles on top of you. What is on you is yours to carry.
“She put on five kilos over winter.”
“The dog put on weight after the move.”
“The baby has put on weight since leaving hospital.”
Apply onto a surface
Why “on”? Something touches, grips, or sticks to a surface.
“She put butter on the warm bread.”
“He put paint on the fence.”
“Put on sunscreen before the run.”
Cause a device to start running
Why “on”? A device starts working, a session or event begins, or a condition starts to develop.
“The cafe worker put the coffee machine on when Maya reached the counter.”
“Put the heating on.”
“Dad put the radio on while we cooked.”
Pretend to have a feeling or act in a false way
“Maya was not really upset. She was just putting it on.”
“Leo put on a deep voice to sound older.”
Memory hook
Clothes go on your body; a switch goes on.
Common mistake
I put on it.
I put it on.
With a pronoun, the particle moves to the end: put it on, not put on it.
Natural collocations
The word partners “put on” most often appears with — learn the phrase, not just the verb.
Don't confuse with
Put on means dress yourself in clothing. Put in means install something.
Test yourself
“Maya put on a grey coat in the shop changing room.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
put in
A contrast learners often mix up
Install something; Invest time or effort
bring on
Same on pattern: starting
Cause something, especially an illness or feeling, to start; Help someone or something develop or improve
click on
Same on pattern: starting
Activate by clicking
come on
Same on pattern: starting
Used to encourage, hurry or challenge someone; Begin to develop, especially an illness or weather; Start working or be turned on; Make progress or improve; Show romantic or sexual interest in someone, often in a direct way; Be broadcast on television or radio
dump on
Same on pattern: burden
Unload an unwanted task onto someone
flip on
Same on pattern: starting
Activate by flipping a control
foist on
Same on pattern: burden
Impose something unwanted
get on
Same on pattern: surface
Board a bus, train or plane; Have a good relationship; Make progress with a task; Manage to dress yourself in; Be growing old; Continue with a task without delay
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “put on”.
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