offbeat

[ adjective awf-beet, of-; noun awf-beet, of- ]
/ adjective ˈɔfˈbit, ˈɒf-; noun ˈɔfˌbit, ˈɒf- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR offbeat 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. 2020

Words related to offbeat

unusual, unconventional, eccentric, weird, unorthodox, bizarre, idiosyncratic, oddball, bohemian, novel, far-out, fresh, uncommon, unique, way-out, freaky, outre

Example sentences from the Web for offbeat

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

  1. unusual, unconventional, or eccentric
  2. (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