put on (third-person singular simple present puts on, present participle putting on, simple past and past participle put on) (transitive)

1. (transitive) To don (clothing, equipment or the like).

   Why don't you put on your jacket. It's cold.

2. (ditransitive) To decorate or dress (something) onto another person or a surface.

   I put a coat on my daughter.

   I put tinsel on the Christmas tree.

3. (intransitive) To fool, kid, deceive.

   You must be putting me on.

   She's putting on that she's sicker than she really is.

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).

   I'll put your favorite record on.

   Can you put on The Sound of Music? I'd like to see it again.

6. (ditransitive) 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 put on a show last Saturday.

   The actors will put "Macbeth" on only one more time.

9. (transitive) To organize a performance for an audience.

   The theatre company is putting on "Into the Woods" this season.

10. (transitive) To provide.
11. (obsolete, intransitive) To hurry up; to move swiftly forward.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC ↗:

      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.

12. (ditransitive) To bet (money or other items) on (something).

    I put five pounds on that racehorse.

13. (ditransitive) To assign or apply (something) to a target.

    The gang boss put some goons on the other gang.

    The witch put a hex on me.

    Carl has been put on the front desk for tonight's shift.

14. (transitive) To give (someone) a role in popular media.

    I hope they put me on TV.

    ''They put her on a billboard.

15. (transitive) To set (movie, show, song, etc.) to play on a screen.

    I put SpongeBob on when the kid gets fussy.

16. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see put, on

    He put the pen on the table.

    Put it on the list.

    The doctor put me on a diet.

• (literal—on a list) put down; see also Thesaurus:enlist
• (don clothing) beclothe; see also Thesaurus:clothe
• (fool, kid, deceive) hoodwink; see also Thesaurus:deceive
• (move swiftly forward) hasten; see also Thesaurus:speed up

• (antonym(s) of “literal—on a list”): take off
• (antonym(s) of “don clothing”): doff, take off; see also Thesaurus:undress
• (antonym(s) of “play a recording”): take off

• put-on
• put one over (on)

• German: aufsetzen
• Italian: posare, mettere, indossare
• Russian: ста́вить

• French: mettre, enfiler
• German: anziehen
• Italian: vestire
• Portuguese: vestir, pôr
• Russian: надева́ть
• Spanish: ponerse

• Russian: ста́вить