off-key

[awf-kee, of-]

adjective

1. deviating from the correct tone or pitch; out of tune.

2. Informal.,  somewhat irregular, abnormal, or incongruous.

off key

adjective

1. music

   1. not in the correct key

   2. out of tune

2. out of keeping; discordant

Word History and Origins

Origin of off key¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

“Shadow Ticket’s” structure turns the current film adaptation of “Vineland” inside out — that would be “One Battle After Another,” whose thrilling middle more than redeems an only slightly off-key beginning and end.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Stewart and the correspondents then serenaded the president with an off-key tune filled with compliments and praises.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Socialism is good…" a pensioner warbles into a portable karaoke mic, slightly off-key and drowned out by her friends' chatter.

Read more on BBC

Amid all of this, responses from the administration were sometimes glaringly off-key.

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These songs look and feel like old-Hollywood-style musical numbers, but charm because of their imperfections; characters sing off-key, they lose their breath and their voices crack.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• discordant 
• dissonant