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off-key

[ awf-kee, of- ]
/ ˈɔfˈki, ˈɒf- /
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adjective
deviating from the correct tone or pitch; out of tune.
Informal. somewhat irregular, abnormal, or incongruous.
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Origin of off-key

First recorded in 1925–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use off-key in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for off-key

off key

adjective, adverb (off-key when prenominal)
music
  1. not in the correct key
  2. out of tune
out of keeping; discordant
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
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