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:
Officials in Yamanashi and neighbouring Shizuoka prefecture, which governs the southern part of Fuji, have seen a rise in off-season and unplanned climbs, some of which have left climbers stranded.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
If considering moving in retirement, Lupo suggested renting for a year to test the new location in all seasons — including the off-season and peak tourist season — to make sure you still love it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 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
Fifa has mandated three weeks off for players during the off-season, meaning the aforementioned City players will not be on the plane for the club's pre-season trip to the Far East unless joining later on.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The restaurant wasn’t crowded — it was the off-season in Port Angeles.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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
In others, they might plant cover crops to keep their soils from washing away in the off season or even encourage healthy populations of earthworms underground.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2024
Coach Jared Halpert said it was his mistake not to let Marsten hit before after seeing what he can do at the plate during the off season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
For instance that in the off season there was little regular work at all; and that all the time there were the fines and breakages.
From The Trade Union Woman by Alice Henry
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.
