offbeat

American  

[awf-beet, of-, awf-beet, of-] / ˈɔfˈbit, ˈɒf-, ˈɔfˌbit, ˈɒf- /

adjective

1. differing from the usual or expected; unconventional.

   an offbeat comedian.

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noun

1. Music. an unaccented beat of a measure.

offbeat British  

/ ˈɒfˌbiːt /

noun

1. 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

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adjective

1. 1. unusual, unconventional, or eccentric

   2. ( as noun )

      he liked the offbeat in fashion

Etymology

Origin of offbeat

First recorded in 1925–30; off + beat

Example Sentences

An offbeat political thriller, a vampire horror film and a period drama about Shakespeare will go head-to-head Sunday at the BAFTAs, Britain's biggest film awards, setting the stage for the Oscars.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

He still has a taste for the offbeat and obscure and has written far too many A-heds for his own good.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Located on a street corner in the Fashion District, their space, which doubles as a man cave, reflects their creative influences, their ties to L.A. and their offbeat sense of humor.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025

The idea that led to this project began when a Mayo Clinic graduate student shared an offbeat thought during a casual discussion with a classmate.

From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2025

A chess player himself, Laucks liked to surround himself with other players, many of them offbeat and highly talented.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• bizarre
• eccentric
• idiosyncratic
• unconventional
• unorthodox
• unusual
• weird