offbeat

American  

[awf-beet, of-, awf-beet, of-] / ˈɔfˈbit, ˈɒf-, ˈɔfˌbit, ˈɒf- /

adjective

1. differing from the usual or expected; unconventional.

   an offbeat comedian.

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noun

• offbeats
  plural

1. Music. an unaccented beat of a measure.

offbeat British  

/ ˈɒfˌbiːt /

noun

1. music any of the normally unaccented beats in a bar, such as the second and fourth beats in a bar of four-four time. They are stressed in most rock and some jazz and dance music, such as the bossa nova

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adjective

1. 1. unusual, unconventional, or eccentric

   2. ( as noun )

      he liked the offbeat in fashion

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• offbeats
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of offbeat

First recorded in 1925–30; off + beat

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

offbeat offbeats

Their last film together was 2018's "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", an offbeat Oscar-nominated Western starring Tim Blake Nelson, which followed the 1950s Hollywood-set satirical comedy "Hail, Caesar!" in 2016.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Having previously appeared together in the offbeat comedy “A Different Man,” Stan and Reinsve keep the story from feeling like a dour exercise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

He debuted the offbeat experimental musical in fishnets and pearls in 1973 on the tiny stage upstairs at the Royal Court Theater in London, where it first became an underground sensation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

The choreographer’s wide-ranging and sometimes offbeat musical choices have regularly led to our seeing him as a music man, which has been borne out during his dancemaking career.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

The old man had an offbeat sense of humor.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

“I’m so sorry, so sorry,” Verlaine sings, offering a desperate apology amid a crossfire of guitars and drums — knife-edged single notes, barbed lines, implacable offbeats — that don’t promise any forgiveness.

From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2023

Danalogue uses 1980s synthesizers for plump bass tones and upward swoops; Betamax mixes drums and drum machines, constantly accenting different offbeats.

From New York Times ● Sep. 23, 2022

They had a taste for the kind of syncopation that perpetually discovers new offbeats in tracks like Negoleiros do Ritmo’s “Lemba” and Elias Dia Kimuezo’s “Chamavo.”

From New York Times ● Dec. 30, 2013

Bass lines lope and skulk, the drums sputter with offbeats, and rhythm guitar and keyboards share a flippant, cackling cross talk, like wiseguys in the back of a high school classroom.

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2013

Cycling rhythm is pace of life Beats in peace, offbeats facing strife.

From Truth and the Myth : Couplets quips by A. R. Narayanan

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Related Words

• bizarre
• eccentric
• idiosyncratic
• unconventional
• unorthodox
• unusual
• weird

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