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Synonyms

off-color

American  
[awf-kuhl-er, of-] / ˈɔfˈkʌl ər, ˈɒf- /
especially British, off-colour also off-colored

adjective

  1. not having the usual or standard color.

    an off-color gem.

  2. of doubtful propriety or taste; risqué.

    an off-color joke.
    Synonyms:
    blue, earthy, salty, spicy, racy

  3. not in one's usual health.

    to feel off-color.

Etymology

Origin of off-color

First recorded in 1855–60

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.

While accepting the inaugural award for best podcast at last Sunday’s Golden Globes, Amy Poehler — perennial optimist and the mind behind some of contemporary culture’s most feel-good media — made a rare off-color joke.

From Salon • Jan. 16, 2026

In the one-way broadcast channel, guests could only emoji-react, so the thread wasn’t cluttered with giant stickers or, say, off-color replies from an unfiltered uncle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

But let’s be clear: Plenty of people wrote mean, off-color things that they wouldn’t say out loud.

From Slate • Sep. 11, 2025

Part off-color drag act, part Carol Burnett-style sketch comedy, the show has survived on its bountiful comedic wits to become one of the hottest Broadway tickets of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

“He’s been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt.”

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

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.