Definition of offhand
: without premeditation or preparation : extempore
- couldn't give the figures offhand
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Examples of offhand in a Sentence
I couldn't give them the figures offhand.
Do you happen to know, offhand, when he'll be back?
First Known Use of offhand
1680
Definition of offhand
Examples of offhand in a Sentence
It was just an offhand remark.
She spoke in an offhand manner.
Recent Examples of offhand from the Web
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But offhand comments from General Moghaddam’s colleagues and family members in the Iranian media seemed to imply that his work had quietly continued, the researchers say.
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The pronouncement felt like a prophecy, not just an offhand remark.
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William's offhand remark has already impacted the ongoing predictions for the royal baby's name.
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An offhand but heartfelt remark refocused Debra Mauldin’s life and helped her become a counselor, a life-skills coach and the director of a children’s performing arts program.
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No, the filmmaker Halliday most reminded me of is one curious for his absence from Ready Player One, save for an offhand reference to Star Wars’ famous Millennium Falcon: George Lucas.
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My immediate reaction is that there is a clear distinction to be made between an offhand remark and the amount of effort that is required to train a dog like that.
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Or whether offhand innuendo from Carbone, who is behind New York’s Major Food Group, would have been edited out.
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But by far the book is also steeped in terror, which seeps into every story and can be smothering in its offhand universality.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'offhand.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of offhand
circa 1668
offhand Synonyms
Synonyms
ad hoc, ad-lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, impromptu, improvisational, improvised, off-the-cuff, offhanded, snap, spur-of-the-moment, unconsidered, unplanned, unpremeditated, unprepared, unrehearsed, unstudied;
Antonyms
considered, planned, premeditated, premeditative, prepared, rehearsed;
Near Antonyms
Related Words
automatic, impulsive, instinctive, involuntary, spontaneous;
OFFHAND Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of offhand for English Language Learners
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: without previous thought or preparation
offhand
Definition of offhand for English Language Learners
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: done or made without previous thought or preparation
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: casual or informal
OFFHAND Defined for Kids
Definition of offhand for Students
: without previous thought or preparation
- I can't say offhand who came.
- He spoke in a very loud, offhand way …
- —Anna Sewell, Black Beauty
Learn More about offhand
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See words that rhyme with offhand Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for offhand Spanish Central: Translation of offhand Nglish: Translation of offhand for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of offhand for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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