off-hour

American  

[awf-ouuhr, -ou-er, -ou^uhr, -ou-er, of-, awf-ouuhr, -ou-er, of-] / ˈɔfˈaʊər, -ˈaʊ ər, -ˌaʊər, -ˌaʊ ər, ˈɒf-, ˈɔfˈaʊər, -ˈaʊ ər, ˈɒf- /

noun

1. an hour or other period when a person is not at a job.

   I spend my off-hours reading.

2. a period outside of rush hours or greatest activity.

   I travel by subway during the off-hours.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or during an off-hour.

   The off-hour traffic will be lighter.

Etymology

Origin of off-hour

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

off-hour

Or, as was the case during the 1984 Olympics, residents may flee the area and in-person workplaces may consider allowing for more remote work or off-hour days.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Other alternatives for those looking to hone their skills include off-hour deals: Buying weekday and nighttime lift tickets can cut costs.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 20, 2022

Even including off-hour workers, commuting in general accounts for only three in 10 transit trips, according to the National Household Travel Survey.

From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2021

Low-income commuters who rely on public transit face many challenges—multiple transfers, long waits, and off-hour travel—that aren’t measured in the usual ridership surveys.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 6, 2021

There are off-hour trips to silent museums, where the boy tries and fails to walk through galleries as quietly as his instructor does, cringing when each footfall echoes.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern