offhand

[ awf-hand, of- ]
See synonyms for: offhandoffhandedly on Thesaurus.com

adverb
  1. cavalierly, curtly, or brusquely: to reply offhand.

  2. without previous thought or preparation; extempore: to decide offhand to take a trip.

adjective
  1. informal, casual, curt, or brusque: an offhand manner.

  2. Also offhanded. done or made offhand.

  1. Glassmaking. working manually and without the use of molds: offhand blowing.

Origin of offhand

1
First recorded in 1685–95; off + hand

Other words for offhand

Opposites for offhand

Other words from offhand

  • off·hand·ed·ly, adverb
  • off·hand·ed·ness, noun

Words Nearby offhand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use offhand in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for offhand

offhand

/ (ˌɒfˈhænd) /


adjective, adverbAlso: offhanded
  1. without care, thought, or consideration; sometimes, brusque or ungracious: an offhand manner

  2. without preparation or warning; impromptu

Derived forms of offhand

  • offhandedly, adverb
  • offhandedness, noun

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