off-color

American  

[awf-kuhl-er, of-] / ˈɔfˈkʌl ər, ˈɒf- /

especially British, off-colour also off-colored

adjective

1. not having the usual or standard color.

   an off-color gem.

2. of doubtful propriety or taste; risqué.

   an off-color joke.

   Synonyms:

   blue, earthy, salty, spicy, racy

3. not in one's usual health.

   to feel off-color.

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Etymology

Origin of off-color

First recorded in 1855–60

Explanation

Something that's off-color is offensive or vulgar. Your parents might stop inviting your uncle for Thanksgiving after years of his embarrassing, off-color jokes. You'll most often find the adjective off-color describing jokes that make some listeners laugh, but offend or disgust others. Standup comedians are frequently famous for their off-color humor, while politicians caught telling off-color stories can face serious career difficulties. Before American English adopted off-color to mean "in questionable taste," this adjective was used to describe faulty gemstones.

Example Sentences

In the one-way broadcast channel, guests could only emoji-react, so the thread wasn’t cluttered with giant stickers or, say, off-color replies from an unfiltered uncle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

According to the New York Times, Trump liked Lewandowski for his “feisty instincts and off-color humor” but he ended up reluctantly firing him after he’d manhandled a reporter.

From Salon • Oct. 17, 2025

But let’s be clear: Plenty of people wrote mean, off-color things that they wouldn’t say out loud.

From Slate • Sep. 11, 2025

Mr. Cook, who no longer works in law enforcement, said that while he was not proud of his texts, it is common for police officers to exchange off-color jokes about their work.

From New York Times • May 29, 2024

An off-color anecdote, a laugh in the wrong place.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• racy
• salty
• suggestive
• vulgar