off-season
noun
a time of year other than the regular or busiest one for a specific activity.
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off-season
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off season
off seasonadjectivedenoting or occurring during a period of little activity in a trade or business
off-season
American
[awf-see-zuhn, of-]
/ ˈɔfˈsi zən, ˈɒf- /
noun
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a time of year other than the regular or busiest one for a specific activity.
Fares are lower in the off-season.
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a time of year when business, manufacturing activity, etc., is less than normal or at an unusually low point.
adjective
adverb
off season
British
adjective
noun
adverb
Etymology
Origin of off-season
First recorded in 1840–50
Explanation
Anything with a season also has an off-season. Summer marks the off-season for skiing, and winter marks the off-season for most amusement parks (unless, of course, you live in Orlando, Florida). Off-season is often the time of the year when tourists don't visit, or when sports fans have to take a break from their favorite games. In seaside resorts, the off-season is the summer. During the off-season, visitors are sparse and sometimes businesses offer discounts to attract tourism. When you're talking about sports, the off-season is the period athletes spend training in preparation for their playing seasons.
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.
See Examples For:
However, when Lo visited during the off-season, its emptiness was “ominous” — unintentionally stirring her inner want to cause chaos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Some guys become interested after seeing videos of NFL players gliding on reformers during the off-season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
You should also try it out for yourself, even if only for a couple of weeks during the on- and off-season of that area.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
In the off-season it was confirmed Emily Scarratt had joined the Red Roses set-up full-time as attack and backs coach.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
But Erin has a real chance to make a good college team and earn a scholarship, which is another reason I love training and playing off-season b-ball so much: It’s a chance to help Erin.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
A closer look at the stats clearly shows Liverpool's home form has dropped off season by season since 2023-2024, although it is important to note this season is still a very small sample size.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Cover crops like winter wheat are grown in the off season, to help bind the soil together and stop it being washed away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Following an off season for the typically dominant Kansas City Chiefs, Allen’s path to the big game looked clearer than ever.
From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2026
It also bans full-contact practices for youth football teams during the off season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2025
It was the off season, and the hotel contained hardly any guests, but he had ascertained that Winifred and her aunt were certainly there.
From The Bartlett Mystery by Louis Tracy
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