as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
an offhand comment that later caused the politician much embarrassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in casually
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of offhand
Kelsey Stewart, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
Punt e Mes 3 dashes Angostura Bitters This certainly isn’t the most popular of Manhattan variations, despite being one of the few scotch cocktails people can name offhand.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2026
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021
Thomas didn’t know offhand but circled back to him with the answer: Six.
—Amie Just | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, 25 Dec. 2020
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Adjective
That offhand remark set everything in motion, from the designs to the dance floor.
—Kelsey Stewart, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
Punt e Mes 3 dashes Angostura Bitters This certainly isn’t the most popular of Manhattan variations, despite being one of the few scotch cocktails people can name offhand.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2026
Adverb
The Trolley Problem entails having to make difficult choices, contextually herein in the nature of driving decisions, and is often offhand dismissed by some as a misleading folly in the self-driving realm.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021
Thomas didn’t know offhand but circled back to him with the answer: Six.
—Amie Just | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, 25 Dec. 2020
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offhand
Adjective
-
In North Hollywood, a group of neighbors has banded together, turning their daily dog walking into impromptu neighborhood watches.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Originally, the family intended to launch the second one in Palm Beach, Florida, but when a real estate deal fell through, Bataller Parietti and his eldest son went on an impromptu father-son trip to Mexico, which ultimately led them to the land on which SHA Mexico now sits.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Timothée Chalamet heads to the beach in Miami in a casually stylish look of a Nahmias cap, Supreme x Wu-Tang Clan RZA T-shirt and cargo shorts on April 17.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The need to constantly fact check statements by those who casually share stories in public forums, not to mention politicians and corporations, will not be lost on contemporary theater audiences.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
German described the improvised but careful transport down from the nest.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Vargas and his ensemble of both professional and first-time actors used a semi-improvised approach to shoot the film.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Sometimes, Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock will offhandedly give you career advice.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
28 Nov. 2025
-
The tragedy side of things is addressed rather offhandedly — occasionally the movie will remember the boggling grief and betrayal at its center, only to shrug it off again just as quickly.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Percussionist and sound artist Colin Blanton mints a new alias for a suite of improvisational industrial jams where distortion is baked in at the atomic level.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Some of the musical experimentation feels like pure young, especially Parker’s use of falsetto, the contemporary-retro sound of a Hammond organ and young’s own improvisational sense.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
These types of homes should not be arbitrarily restricted from the state’s residential areas.—
Eliza Terziev,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The plaintiffs at the center of this case are not being targeted arbitrarily.—
Mikayla Price,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Its international airport — which only recently reopened — has the remains of propeller planes carelessly tossed to the side of the runway, their bodies riddled with bullet holes and their wings askew.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Treat the produce section carelessly.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
3 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Crawling the walls Orson Welles learned to draw from his mother, who informally homeschooled the budding artist during his childhood, which was marked by grave illnesses including malaria and diphtheria.—
Michelle Duncan,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The public signing of the Executive Order 26-3 comes in the final three weeks of a legislative session that has yet to resolve how much of the $500 million informally earmarked for addressing affordability issues will go to aid for municipalities facing sharply higher education costs.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhand. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
