a time of year other than the regular or busiest one for a specific activity.
Fares are lower in the off-season.
a time of year when business, manufacturing activity, etc., is less than normal or at an unusually low point.
First recorded in 1840–50
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Keeping the headline act of O'Neal in rude health was fundamental amid huge fluctuations in his weight and a notorious distaste for keeping fit in the off-season.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Bananas, mangoes, pineapples and off-season berries and vegetables are all exposed to higher input costs, Lempert added, and consumers could pay between 5% and 20% more by the fall, depending on produce origin.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026
The adventurers reckon that they’re probably safe because it’s off-season for the toothy beasts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
In “Heated Rivalry,” Shane and Ilya escape to the cottage during their off-season for a private, romantic getaway as the couple hides its relationship from the public.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
He threw up regularly during the off-season workouts.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
