offhanded

adjective

off·​hand·​ed ˈȯf-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce offhanded (audio)
-ˌhan-
offhandedly adverb
offhandedness noun

Examples of offhanded in a Sentence

a quick, offhanded suggestion that was actually much better than any of the prepared proposals
Recent Examples on the Web With his offhanded singsong delivery, spare instrumentation and arsenal of songs that manage to be simultaneously downcast and extravagant, Drake has wielded an outsized influence on the sound of mainstream hip-hop and even R&B the past decade. Brian McCollum, USA TODAY, 9 July 2023 But an earlier vérité shot, where Curry drops a seemingly offhanded comment after chatting with former teammate Kevin Durant, should titillate the SportsCenter crowd. Bill Edelstein, Variety, 29 Apr. 2023 Journalist David Sirota floated the idea of his friend Adam McKay (an Oscar winner for The Big Short) directing a film about the climate crisis and made an offhanded comment about how the situation feels like an asteroid is headed toward Earth and nobody cares. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2022 But — as is typical of the work of writer-director Olivier Assayas, who is adapting his 1996 film of the same title — there is a tricky and serpentine truth in the most offhanded of on-set talk. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 2 June 2022 My offhanded mention of my movie plans to my keyboard player, Jon, became a clue to Inspector Laura as to my whereabouts. Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE.com, 15 Mar. 2022 The Night introduces the kind of offhanded spontaneity and first-take imperfections that would define many of Young’s later albums, in deep contrast to the ‘70s studio professionalism that was coming into vogue. Al Shipley, SPIN, 18 Feb. 2022 In part this comes from the way in which Stewart’s public persona, her own offhanded cool and experiences of a life in the spotlight, melds so strongly with the role. Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2021 So, in an offhanded comment on April 17, Trump said the payments should be returned. Michelle Singletary, BostonGlobe.com, 28 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'offhanded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of offhanded was in 1750

Dictionary Entries Near offhanded

Cite this Entry

“Offhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offhanded. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

offhanded

adjective
off·​hand·​ed ˈȯf-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce offhanded (audio)
: offhand
offhanded remarks
offhandedly adverb
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