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off-key

adjective or adverb

Synonyms of off-keynext
1
: varying in pitch from the proper tone of a melody
2

Examples of off-key in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gran’s butter yellow Cadillac was a welcome surprise in the school carpool line, her slightly off-key singing voice kept me entertained in the church pews on Sunday morning, and her dining room table was the joyful location of many family celebrations. Brennan Long, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2025 Additionally, Sanville and Freeman’s co-mingling vocals were, depending on the moment, complementary in their harmony or shredded in their screaming, without screeching into off-key territory. William Earl, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025 Conversely, Disney’s Bruce Springsteen biographical drama Deliver Me From Nowhere sang off-key in opening to $8.9 million domestically, behind expectations. Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025 The parody came in a chaotic birthday party sketch where Carpenter and her friends told a story through intentionally off-key performances. Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025 The sketch centers on Kelsey (Chloe Fineman), whose affair with Domingo (Marcello Hernandez) is revealed to her husband, Matt (Andrew Dismukes), via a group of off-key girl friends. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2025 Singing off-key, dancing around, and grabbing a slice of pizza before heading out kept her in high spirits. Larry Stansbury, Essence, 19 Sep. 2025 Yet in subsequent editions, the Muirs, or perhaps their publishers, rejected that suitably plain title and replaced it with the storied but off-key Metamorphosis. Mark Harman august 8, Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025 The team’s latest diagnostic approach combines digital stethoscopes and machine learning to analyze heartbeats, similar to how a musician may pick up an off-key note. Carla Mendez, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-key was in 1901

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Cite this Entry

“Off-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-key. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

off-key

adjective or adverb
ˈȯf-ˈkē
: above or below the proper tone of a melody
singing off-key

More from Merriam-Webster on off-key

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