offbeat

[ adjective awf-beet, of-; noun awf-beet, of- ]

/ adjective ˈɔfˈbit, ˈɒf-; noun ˈɔfˌbit, ˈɒf- /

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See synonyms for: offbeat / offbeats on Thesaurus.com

adjective

differing from the usual or expected; unconventional: an offbeat comedian.

noun

Music. an unaccented beat of a measure.

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Origin of offbeat

First recorded in 1925–30; off + beat

Words nearby offbeat

off and on, off and running, off balance, off-balance sheet reserve, off-base, offbeat, offboard, off-brand, off break, off Broadway, off-budget

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use offbeat in a sentence

Though offbeat, it doesn’t feel quite as different as it should from the many other high-concept, sci-fi and fantasy comedies we’ve seen in recent years, like Upload and Miracle Workers.
HBO Max's Offbeat Tech Satire Made for Love Goes Down Easy—Maybe Too Easy|Judy Berman|April 1, 2021|Time
This highly offbeat style of material promotion also enables LinkedIn users to provide a deeper insight into the people behind the business.
Five strategies to promote your business using LinkedIn Stories|Aayush|December 31, 2020|Search Engine Watch
It was an unusual deal for a pop star, but Post Malone, with his offbeat style and face covered in tattoos, is a bit unusual himself.
The unlikely partnership between pop stars and Crocs|Marc Bain|October 27, 2020|Quartz
It’s not in a hotel ballroom but rather an offbeat event space such as a warehouse.
How nonprofits are catering to millennials and rethinking the charity gala for younger generations|Rachel King|September 7, 2020|Fortune

The neighborhood is lined with offbeat shops, hip bars, and late-night coffeehouses.
Denver: Where the Queer Community is a Mile High|LGBTQ-Editor|July 14, 2020|No Straight News
Ed first appeared in 1987 on City By Night, a talk show on Newton Cable, a now-defunct offbeat indie cable network.
Canada’s Subversive Sock Puppet: Ed the Sock Isn’t Afraid to Say Anything|Soraya Roberts|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The women Peterson photographed were offbeat, eccentric, irreverent, and not conventionally pretty.
Gosta Peterson's Bohemian Rhapsody: Unpacking a Photographer's '60s Secrets|Lizzie Crocker|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Shake It Off” and its accompanying music video are all about being a goober and dancing like an offbeat weirdo.
Butts, ‘Bang Bang’ & Beyoncé: The Craziest MTV Video Music Awards Moments|Kevin Fallon|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And selecting Samberg as host meant that, perhaps more than other SNL alumni, it was going to be more offbeat episode of SNL.
Andy Samberg's ‘SNL’ Finale Was Wonderfully Weird|Kevin Fallon|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While there, LeCun was allowed to dabble in some of his offbeat interests, including philosophy.
Soon All Your Best Facebook Friends Will Be Robots|William O’Connor|December 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The hour—I am sorry I cannot recall the hour of arrival—but it was, as we say, an offbeat hour.
Warren Commission (7 of 26): Hearings Vol. VII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Rick studied the scene, searching for anything offbeat, any anomaly.
The Blue Ghost Mystery|Harold Leland Goodwin

British Dictionary definitions for offbeat

offbeat

/ (ˈɒfˌbiːt) /

noun

music any of the normally unaccented beats in a bar, such as the second and fourth beats in a bar of four-four time. They are stressed in most rock and some jazz and dance music, such as the bossa nova

adjective

unusual, unconventional, or eccentric
(as noun)he liked the offbeat in fashion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

offbeat

Origin of offbeat

Words nearby offbeat

Words related to offbeat

How to use offbeat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for offbeat