off-color

[ awf-kuhl-er, of- ]

/ ˈɔfˈkʌl ər, ˈɒf- /

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See synonyms for off-color on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not having the usual or standard color: an off-color gem.

of doubtful propriety or taste; risqué: an off-color joke.

not in one's usual health: to feel off-color.

OTHER WORDS FOR off-color

2 racy, spicy, salty, earthy, blue.

See synonyms for off-color on Thesaurus.com

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navy

beryl

azure

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Also especially British, off-col·our . Also off-col·ored (for defs. 1, 2) .

Origin of off-color

First recorded in 1855–60

Words nearby off-color

off-campus, offcast, off-center, off-centre, off chance, off-color, off colour, offcut, off-duty, Offenbach, offence

How to use off-color in a sentence

Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Even other men of color considered Revels a curious figure, for Mississippi had never had a large free black population.
The Black Man Who Replaced Jefferson Davis in the Senate|Philip Dray|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Similarly, a recent NPR report covered the challenges many police departments are having recruiting officers of color.
How to Solve the Policing Crisis|Keli Goff|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The pink flowers are the largest while those of a yellow color are the smallest.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
She was growing accustomed to like shocks, but she could not keep the mounting color back from her cheeks.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Her attachment to impressionism leads this artist to many experiments in color—or, as one critic wrote, "to play with color."
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
She also practises etching, pen-and-ink drawing, as well as crayon and water-color sketching.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy