offbeat
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of offbeat
Explanation
Anything offbeat is quirky or unusual. An offbeat hair color like magenta will definitely stand out in a crowd of blonds, brunettes, and redheads. This informal adjective is a much more admiring way to say "weird" or "freaky." If your aunt's style isn't like anyone else's, and you love that about her, you can describe her as offbeat. If you love unusual humor and unconventional perspectives, you probably also enjoy offbeat movies and books. Since about 1938, this has been the primary meaning of the word, but earlier it meant "music that doesn't match the beat."
Vocabulary lists containing offbeat
The Last Lecture
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Look Both Ways
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Words to Describe a Movie
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
An Atsuko Okatsuka show is typically full of surprises as a result of her offbeat humor and twerk-master physicality.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
An offbeat political thriller, a vampire horror film and a period drama about Shakespeare will go head-to-head Sunday at the BAFTAs, Britain's biggest film awards, setting the stage for the Oscars.
From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026
He still has a taste for the offbeat and obscure and has written far too many A-heds for his own good.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Even in the face of Hollywood’s timidity, some American independent animators have managed to push their offbeat visions through as features made with limited resources.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
Everything smells like hair spray, and I have that key-change, offbeat feeling again.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
