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Synonyms

offbeat

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

adjective

  1. differing from the usual or expected; unconventional.

    an offbeat comedian.

noun

  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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

    1. unusual, unconventional, or eccentric

    2. ( as noun )

      he liked the offbeat in fashion
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of offbeat

First recorded in 1925–30; off + beat

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."

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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.

The house was less than two miles away from The Offbeat Bar in Highland Park, where state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara hosted a fundraiser that doubled as his birthday party that November night.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2024

The two were strong enough to kick out the duo of Dere and Barrikoi from the Offbeat pride in May 2014.

From Scientific American • Aug. 21, 2023

Offbeat repairs have included an egg incubator and a 1946-era radio that required extensive research and work, including vacuum tube replacement.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 17, 2021

Offbeat and capricious, and a perversion of classic sitcom series, “WandaVision” seems like it will give its superheroine the space to power up and unravel in ways that she couldn’t in the overstuffed “Avengers” films.

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2020

Sarujen Sivakumar, a 22-year-old Lebanese-born delivery team manager for Eat Offbeat - a catering company led by immigrants and refugees - heads out to work.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2020

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.